Motherly Instincts
by GanHer
Summary: The Cullens are called to the Volturi for a routine meeting. When they arrive they are met with a most surprising development. Aro and Suplicia Volturi have a child, a human child. When Alice has a vision that the child's life is in danger, the Cullens volunteer to take the child and protect her while the Volturi is under siege.
1. Chapter 1: Sound of a Beating Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own. 

Chapter 1: The Sound of a Beating Heart 

Esme entered the Volturi throne room with some trepidation. She knew that every century or so the Volturi kings would call in covens for a check of sorts, but she had yet to be present for one. The room's walls were made from a slate like stone and large windows covered with heavy forest green drapes filled the space with subtle light. At the north side of the room she saw three thrones, each containing an ancient, and powerful, vampire. She had seen pictures and heard Carlisle speak of the three kings, and the three queens to a certain extent, but that did not prepare her for the sense of power that radiated from them. Suddenly, Esme felt very small. Aro, the king from the middle throne smiled briefly and then stood in greeting.

"Ah, such a joy to have you back amongst our company again, Carlisle. I see that your coven has grown. Please introduce me to your family."

Esme was curious as to the usage of the word 'family' that spilt from Aro's lips. Did he really think of their coven as a family? When Carlisle has spoken of the kings he had never indicated that they too created familial bonds with each other. Before she could think much more on the subject Carlisle began introducing them to the kings.

"This is my mate and wife Esme." He said while directing his gaze toward Esme. Aro approached slowly and extended his hand to Esme and she took it gracefully. Aro closed his eyes while filtering through her thoughts and memories. Aro smiled and let go, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you Esme. I have hoped for many years that Carlisle would find his mate. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, I hope that we can spend more time together and you can get to know me and my family."

Then Aro moved on to take the hand of each member of the rest of Carlisle and Esme's family as they were introduced by Carlisle.

While Aro was listening to the thoughts of her children, Esme heard the tiny patter of feet running and what she thought to be the sound of a child's giggle. She quickly dismissed the notion, however. She knew that the creation of immortal children was strictly forbidden. She had heard from Tanya and her coven about the fate that became of their mother and creator for the conception of such a being. She also knew that the Volturi drank human blood but certainly they would not stoop so low as to feed on small children. She deducted that giggle must not have come from a child. Perhaps another vampire in the castle had a young voice?

She quickly glanced at Carlisle to see if he had heard the same thing and noted that he seemed to be coming to the same conclusion. Then she stole a glance at Edward. He looked perplexed, but not overly concerned. Clearly something in the thoughts of the people in the room was intriguing to him. Esme briefly relaxed, she didn't smell any humans in the vicinity; she needn't worry.

Then she heard a small voice yell out, "Mama Mama, I did it!" Come look, I did it." Thoughts of an immortal child ran through her mind and she couldn't believe the Volturi would do such a thing. But then she heard it, it was a sound that caused her eyes to mist over with venom. It was the sound of a small beating heart.


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting Isabella

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 2: Meeting Isabella

Now all of the Cullens had their eyes and ears directed to the door that led to the east corridor off of the throne room. Aro, while noting the distraction carried on with the meeting. However, Esme noticed that his eyes carried a twinkle that she had not noticed before. She quickly glanced at the other kings and noted a look of pride from Caius and a look of amusement from Marcus. She wished more than ever that she had Edward's ability to read the thoughts of others.

After the introductory proceedings, Aro invited the family to take a tour of the castle. As they progressed through the aged stone work they made their way to the interior gardens. Now Esme heard the sound of a small heartbeat and heard whispered voices speaking in Italian. Oddly, she still didn't smell blood. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw a small girl running toward them. As the little girl ran she exclaimed, "Papa, look! I did it! I did it all by myself!" Then to the surprise of the entire Cullen family, the little girl threw herself into Aro's arms smiling widely while bringing her tied shoelaces to his attention.

Aro, looking completely enraptured by the girl and stated happily, "I am so proud of you, Isabella! I knew you could do it!" After beaming at her father's proud accolades, the little girl, the Cullen family just learned to be named Isabella, turned in her father's arms and seemed to realize that her father was with guests. She blushed and hid her face in the crook of her father's neck. Aro whispered in the girl's ear, "No need to be bashful little one. Let me introduce you to the Cullen family. I am sure that you will love them."

A soft, "But their eyes, Papa, they don't drink from puppies do they?" Esme's heart clenched at the sound of the fear in the child's voice. She in all her years of being a vampire had never felt as though she was a monster. Yet in that moment, at the look of fear in the child's eyes, she wanted nothing more than to renounce her immortal existence.

Aro responded after a brief chuckle, "No my little one, your precious _cucciola _is safe."

"You are sure." She responded hesitantly.

"I promise." Aro stated with certainty.

Isabella seemed to relax and moved her head out from under Aro's. While the father and daughter were having their brief conversation, Suplicia emerged from around the bend in the garden path. When she caught site of the scene she smiled serenely and addressed the Cullens, "It is very nice to see you again Carlisle. Your family has grown since we last met; as has ours." She then inclined her head and looked to the rest of the Cullen family, "My name is Suplicia; I am Aro's wife." Upon noting the distracted glances at Aro and their daughter she continued, "let us retire to the clearing ahead and get reacquainted. I am sure that you have some curiosities that you would like to be relieved of. I know that Aro has already met each of you, but I would also like to become familiar." At that, she turned and led the Cullens to the clearing.

The clearing was nestled among tall trees and was lined with a small creek on the western edge. Aro and Suplicia settled themselves on one of the benches. Isabella snuggled into her mother's lap and took surreptitious glances at the Cullens while they settled themselves on the remaining benches.

It was during this time that Esme was able to get her first good look at the small girl. She looked to be four or five, but seemed small for her age. Her small heart shaped face was framed by chestnut ringlets. Dark, long lashes framed honey brown eyes. Her button nose contained a light dusting of freckles, and her small plump lips were curved in small smile that created a dimple in her left cheek. Angelic was the only thought that Esme could conjure to describe this precious little girl. Something that puzzled her though was that while she could smell the blood, which inevitably was pumping through the child's veins, the aroma was very feint. It was almost as though the smell of her blood was being blocked from her senses.

She also took this time to note how comfortable this girl was in the embrace of Suplicia, a woman from what she had heard from Carlisle was quite ruthless. But she did note the tenderness in Suplicia's smile when she looked at Isabella, and the way caressed the young girl's hair. Esme knew that Carlisle was not one to exaggerate or speak ill of anyone. In fact, he often saw people as better than they truly were. If Carlisle said the queen was ruthless, than she must have bordered on evil. Yet the woman in front of her seemed open, warm and kind. Esme couldn't help but wonder if this small little child was responsible for the change.

Aro, too, was different from her expectations. Carlisle had told her that Aro was as manipulative as the queen was ruthless. He had called him a collector of gifts. And yet, not once had Aro tried to lure one of my children to serve him. He seemed content and happy. Was his happiness also the product of this little girl?

Esme was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to realize that the king had spoken her name. She quickly apologized for her distracted attention and politely asked them to restate the query. Suplicia gave her a knowing smile and stated, "Not to worry my dear, Aro was simply introducing me to your family. Perhaps Aro and I should tell you a bit more about our Isabella here. I feel as though our family seems to have you perplexed and curious." At this, the little princess colored and averted her gaze. She looked to her mother and spoke softly in Italian. Suplicia smiled before responding in English so all could understand, "Do not worry little one, the Cullens simply did not know that we had a child and were surprised. They are curious to hear the story of how you came into our lives. I have a feeling that they would all like to get to know you as well. Would you be okay with spending some time and getting to know them?"

"You will stay with me?" A small voice responded in almost a panic. It seems she still didn't quite believe that the vampires with golden eyes could be trusted.

"Of course, my darling." Suplicia responded with a chuckle.

The little princess nodded in affirmation and Aro began the tale.

"Ah I do love to tell this story!" He exclaimed. "However, I won't go into all the details, for I do not wish to bore you. You see, a few years ago, my wife and I were touring the surrounding city. We like to do this from time to time to stay abreast of the current cultural trends, you know and…", he began to ramble and Suplicia elbowed him gently.

"Right, sorry. As I was saying, Suplicia was the first to hear baby Isabella's cries. As soon as she picked her up I knew that she fell in love with our little princess. Then the most astonishing thing happened. Our little piccolo reached out and touched my face and nothing. I couldn't hear or see a single thing from her! It was the most amazing thing." Aro chuckled at this, before continuing. "Upon seeing my startled reaction, baby Isabella smiled up at me. Ah, my heart just melted. I knew then that we had just gained a daughter." Aro looked as if his eyes misted over as he looked down at his daughter in Suplicia's lap.

Suplicia continued, "So we brought Isabella home with us and she has been with us ever since."

"What of her safety around some of your newer and less controlled guard?" Carlisle responded with a bit of awe mixed with a slight guarded rebuke.

"Ah yes, this is most peculiar. Just as I cannot read her thoughts, neither can anyone detect her smell. I am sure that, while you have not dined on human blood in quite some time you still remember the smell, you have noticed that she does not carry the aroma or appeal associated with being human?"

"I had noticed, and it is very peculiar." Carlisle intoned with a look of fascination.

"Almost as if she was meant to live with and be raised by vampires…" Aro said almost dreamily.

Esme was watching Isabella with interest as the story unfolded. She knew there was more to the story of how the baby had been found and most likely dealt with a tragic accident or crime that was committed against the girl's human parents. What fascinated Esme, however, was the way that Aro did not shy away from the fact that they were vampires or that they drank human blood. The little girl seemed to have no fear of them. In fact the only fear she expressed was of Esme, herself, and her family, presumably because they drank animal blood. She would be lying if she did not admit that this fact was troubling and completely baffling. For some reason she wanted this little girl to like her. Perhaps it was her innate motherly instinct that drove her desire. But if she was sure of one thing, it was that she wanted Isabella to be comfortable with her. She found herself almost desperate with the desire to prove she was worth the young girl's affection.

Esme looked around at the rest of her family and saw that they were similarly transfixed. Isabella seemed to have won them all. Rosalie, too, seemed to be struggling to maintain her normal aloofness. Yes, she was still holding her piercing glare and she even postured herself as though she did not care, but Esme thought that Rose was trying a bit too hard to appear cold. Everyone knew that one of the hardest parts of being a vampire for Rosalie was the inability to have a child of her own. Looking at a child so young in the arms of another vampire, and one that was called so affectionately, 'Mama' seemed to make her yearn for something similar. Esme would bet that Rose would do just about anything to get a chance to know the little girl even if she did not show any interest outwardly.

Esme then saw her youngest, Alice, get up slowly to approach the little angel. She heard her say softly with a smile, "Hello Isabella, my name is Alice. We are going to be good friends, I know it." Isabella smiled slightly and responded with her slight Italian lilt, "How do you know?"

"Did your father not tell you?!" Alice exclaimed in mock aghast, while playfully placing her hand across her chest. "I can see the future. It is my gift. And I see you and I being the best of friends."

"Can you really see the future?!" Isabella stated with a mix of wonder and hesitation.

"I can. Want me to prove it?"

"Yes, please!" Isabella's eyes widened in anticipation.

"Okay, in exactly three seconds a member of the guard is going to come to ask for your father's presence in the throne room. Three. Two. One." Alice counted down.

On cue and young guard member approached quickly and called Aro to the throne room to discuss an urgent matter.

If possible, Isabella's eyes widened further. "You really can see the future!" and then she continued to say something else in Italian which caused a small chuckle from Suplicia.

At Alice's arched eyebrow, Suplicia translated, "Little Isabella was just wondering if she would have to eat her vegetables tonight."

Everyone shared a brief chuckle and then Alice continued her conversation with Isabella.

"Would you like to meet the rest of my family?"

"Okay", Isabella responded, her shyness returning but it was mixed with a curiosity to meet the rest of the Cullens. Her curiosity, not doubt peaked by Alice's ability and a desire to learn what the others could do.

"This is my husband and mate Jasper. He can read and create emotions." Jasper approached slowly and extended his hand for Isabella. When she took it, he brought it to his lips and gave her knuckles a soft kiss.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Princess." He drawled.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Isabella responded with a courtesy clearly representing her status as Volturi royalty.

Alice continued with introducing Edward, Emmet and Carlisle. She then indicated, Rosalie.

"This is my sister Rosalie, she is Emmet's mate and wife." Rosalie approached carefully but presented herself as cold and aloof. Isabella, despite being courteous and curious about the other Cullens she had just met, shrunk back into Suplicia after witnessing the coldness from Rose. Rose's eyes flashed hurt and regret before she quickly schooled her features. Alice sent her a glare, but then continued.

"Don't worry Isabella; I have saved the best for last." Alice smiled briefly at me and then turned back to the small girl. "This is my mother, Esme. I know that you will like her very much."

Esme took a quick unneeded breath and approached the little angel. She smiled and spoke, "I am so pleased to meet you, Isabella." Before she could reach out and take her outstretched hand, Aro returned looked flushed and concerned. "I am very sorry to interrupt but I am afraid we are going to have to cut our visit short. A new development has arisen and we need to secure Volterra. We will be closing the city in two days' time, if you do not wish to stay; you will need to make arrangements to return home soon. My extreme apologies for the lack of hospitality but I am afraid we are about to be at war."

As if on cue, Alice's eyes glazed over in a vision. Edward, while seeing the vision reveal itself from Alice's thoughts, quickly made his way to Aro and grasped his hand. When the vision was finished, Aro fell to his knees and stated fiercely, "No, I will not allow that to come to pass." In that moment, the Cullen family saw why Aro was a king of the Volturi, the power radiated from his being and his eyes looked almost savage. He quickly turned to the entrance of the garden and called out in a deceptively calm voice that didn't reveal his inner termoil, "Jane, I need your assistance please."

Jane, Esme recognized as one of the most feared vampires because of her gift to cause pain appeared quickly by Aro's side. Esme instinctively flinched away from Jane as Aro inclined his head toward her. "Would you please take Isabella to get some lunch?" Aro spoke quickly. Jane nodded and held out her hand to Isabella.

"Come on munchkin." She spoke with a slight accent. "Let's go get you something to eat." Isabella beamed up at Jane and quickly grabbed her hand. As with the other vampires of the Volturi, Esme was learning that her assumptions of the others vampires were quickly being proven wrong. The care and sweetness in Jane's voice coupled with the obvious adoration that Isabella showed her was quickly dismantling Esme's previous beliefs.

As Jane and Isabella progressed down the path at the little human's speed the remaining vampires could hear the little girl telling Jane all about the Cullens she had just met, "…and one of the vampires, Jane, she could see the future. Can you believe that? She even proved it…"

As Jane's response to the child drifted into the wind, Aro turned to Alice with pleading eyes, "I must keep my daughter safe, I will do anything." Alice nodded in understanding. Having made the decision to do anything to keep his daughter safe, Alice was able to look at myriad futures. After a brief time passed, she gave Aro a bittersweet smile and placed her hand in his. A single drop of venom fell from his eye and seared its way down his cheek before he spoke, "let us make haste."


	3. Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye

The next few hours passed in somewhat of a blur for Esme. She was amazed at the speed and efficiency of the Volturi kings and by extension, their guards. Immediately after Isabella left with Jane, Aro asked Alice to assist him in planning out the details of what needed to be done. As he and Alice collaborated, Edward filled in the rest of the vampires present. He informed them that in most futures Alice saw, regardless of how many guards were present; the war would claim Isabella's life. The only future in which she lived was the one in which she absconded away to stay with the Cullens until the war and fighting settled.

Suplicia's initial reaction to the news was adamant refusal to part with her daughter, but as Edward unveiled the various scenarios and how they would fail she too became resigned to the plan of having her daughter leave in order to protect her. Esme's heart clenched for the female vampire in this moment. She could see the anguish swirling in the ancient vampire's eyes. She reached down and touched Suplicia's hand and spoke what she hoped would be words of comfort, "It will only be for a short time, and I promise that she will never feel as though she is unloved. We will care for her as one of our own."

Suplicia turned toward the caring vampire and responded softly, "I know. It is just that we have so little time with our daughter as it is. We are centuries old and as such every day lost is painful, because we have so few of them to spend with her as she is now. She is growing up with such haste I feel as though I will miss too much." Her eyes misted over with her last statement and she hung her head.

The two women were drawn from their moment from Aro speaking to Alice about the final details, "Can you at least take the Volturi jet to return to your home. Isabella has not spent much time around humans and I do not wish to cause even more changes if they can be helped." Alice responded in the affirmative and Aro shoulders slumped and he turned toward his wife, "Cia, let us go and spend some time with Isabella. She and the Cullens will need to leave at first light."

Esme was immediately stuck by something that Aro said. She didn't know how to comprehend the fact that Isabella had not been around humans. Her family had always tried to blend in with humans; yes humans tended to shy away from their kind it still didn't prevent contact. She decided to discuss the issue with Carlisle later.

The ancient vampire couple said their goodbyes and told them they would see them in the morning on the jet way. Esme felt torn as she watched them leave. Part of her heart ached for the anguish that they were enduring and would have to endure for the next six or so months. Another part of her, however, was overjoyed at the opportunity to spend time with such a precious little girl. Her and her family retired from the garden. They did not need to pack for they barely had a chance to unpack so they took the opportunity to continue to tour the castle with Carlisle pointing out some of his favorite spots from his time spent with the Volturi.

Esme could not help but notice that the mood of the guards they passed along the tour was quite somber. She looked toward Edward and Jasper hoping to glean what they were feeling and thinking. Jasper spoke first, "I feel an overwhelming sadness and some anger from most of the guards we pass. It is strange, as most vampires have a sense of excitement before a war. Our instincts to claim and dominant tend to give us an almost sense of joy when we fight, it gives us a chance to unleash our beast within, and yet I feel none of that here." Edward continued after Jasper trailed off confused, "It seems as though the news that the little princess will be leaving has spread. Apparently she is quite loved and most of the guards view her as a beacon of hope or a sign of their restored humanity. They will miss her very much when she is gone. I believe they will fight harder than ever in order for her to return safely."

Carlisle then murmured quietly, "I never thought I would see a vampire change, much less the entire Volturi. I must admit that I am almost excited to spend time with this little human girl. She seems to be very special indeed."

"I still don't get why everyone is moping around. I mean it is only a couple of months," Emmett responded with an almost childlike astonishment.

Alice clipped him on the back of the head and chastised him, "Emmett, don't be so tactless! Even you have to realize how precious a day is." When Emmett continued to look confused Alice continued, "Think about it this way, you know how you are always saying that you hate going to school? You hate repeating it over and over again." Emmett nodded and Alice pushed on.

"Think about what we always say to you, 'In the grand scheme of things the time you spend in school is relatively minute compared to the time you spend out of school.' So you don't really fret too much about going to school because it essentially represents a drop in the bucket of your time. But imagine as though you actually loved school." Emmett scoffed, but Alice held up her hand and proceeded.

"I know, but just imagine you loved school. Wouldn't you want to relish in every moment. Because it represents such infinitesimal portion of your life, wouldn't you want to cherish that time?"

Emmett pondered it for a moment and then said, "Yea, I guess I would."

"Now you have only been alive for about a century. Imagine being alive for thousands of years. Think of what six months of your daughter's childhood represents on that scale. Aro and Suplicia only get so much time with their daughter, to revel in her childhood. Trust me when I say that I searched for any other way to keep her safe so as to not do this to them. It is truly heartbreaking."

Emmett hung his head, "I never thought of it that way. We will have to be sure to take lots of pictures and videos of little Bella." Esme quirked her head at the nickname given and Alice gave her a small knowing smile. She didn't get to question Alice because Emmett continued, "we need to make sure we don't miss a moment. I know Aro can just read our thoughts and replay our memories but Suplicia can't. We need to do this for her."

Esme smiled at Emmett's thoughtfulness and rubbed his arm affectionately. "We will be sure to capture every memory for her." What Esme did not say was that she also wanted every memory captured for herself.

The Cullens continued touring the castle while Emmett was busy rambling off a list of all the things he wanted 'Bella' to experience and all the ways he would document those experiences for Aro and mostly Suplicia. When it was about an hour before dawn they were found by a guard who led them to the jet way where they were to be departing from. Upon arriving they found that the entire royal family and the elite guard were present along with a very morose looking little girl. Each of the kings and their wives took time to speak with Isabella before hugging her tightly and whispering affections in Italian.

Each of the elite guards also took their turn to say goodbye to the beloved princess. Jane picked her up carefully when Isabella starting crying anew, "Jane, do I have to go? Please do not make me leave." Jane wiped the child's eyes and hugged her tight whispering, "I will come and get you the second I can. I promise."

"Will you come with me? I am afraid."

Esme's heart clenched at the child's words, and then Jane responded, "I wish I could. Do you remember what we talked about when you feel fear?"

At the child's nod Jane continued, "Good, I will miss you so much my little princess." She said affectionately while tapping Isabella's nose.

"I will miss you too Jane." Then her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "And you will take care of Pocio?"

Jane put on a brave smile and let out a half-hearted chuckle before responding, "Yes I will take care of your puppy, not to worry he will be here safe and sound when you return."

"I love you, Jane." Isabella said as she clenched on to the guard, almost as if she thought if she held on tight enough she wouldn't have to let go.

"I love you too, munchkin." Jane chocked back.

Jane passed Suplicia her daughter with a heavy heart and Suplicia slowly carried her over to were the Cullens were standing. They were apart from the group trying to give the group of vampires at least the illusion of privacy as they said their goodbyes. Suplicia whispered words of comfort and affection into her daughter's ears before carrying her into the plane and helping her into her seat. The Cullens followed her inside after saying whispered goodbyes.

As Suplicia left the plane she turned and blew a kiss to her daughter before her eyes misted over and she left. Esme's eyes trailed after the broken woman and again she felt torn. She would never wish this sort of anguish on another, but at the same time she was heart warmed to know that she was going to get a chance to be somewhat of a surrogate mother to this little angel. Yes, she had her other children, but they were already grown when she had met them, they didn't really need her like a child would.

She smiled softly to the little girl and made her way to sit next to her in hopes of providing comfort for her. She also hoped, perhaps selfishly, that the child would come to rely on her too. Then she took a brief glance out of the window following the child's gaze to her family and a realization came to Esme. This little girl was going to break her heart. As she looked at the forlorn faces of the vampires to be left behind she realized that in a few months' time that she would be the one that the little girl left behind. She closed her eyes and pushed those thoughts aside. She couldn't let those thoughts keep her from getting to experience even a brief glimpse of motherhood.

With the thoughts of impending heartbreak pushed aside she opened her eyes and gently took the young girl's hand in hers. As soon as their hands met she felt a jolt of warmth run through her body and she swore that her heart actually beat. She recovered from the sensation and looked to the girl gazing out of the window toward her family that was no longer in sight, "Isabella," she murmured, "can I get you anything?" Tear stained cheeks and red rimmed eyes came into Esme's view and Isabella started to speak but fell to crying once more. With little hesitation, Esme cradled the girl into her arms. When the girl accepted the comfort instead of flinching away, Esme began to rub soothing circles on her back while cooing comfortingly into her ear. Eventually, Isabella fell asleep in Esme's arms.

Esme looked down at the sleeping child and whispered, "You have my heart, precious, please don't break it."

a/n – okay so now we are actually going to get to Bella spending time with the Cullens.


	4. Chapter 4: The Flight

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! This is my first attempt at writing anything. You guys are so great! I don't really want to inflate the word count of the chapters by responding to reviews in author notes, but I would be more than happy to respond to PMs

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 4: The Flight

While Isabella slept in Esme's arms the rest of the vampires in the cabin gathered around to discuss plans for what they were to do when landing. Alice took the lead.

"So Rose and I will go and get her everything she will need for her new room. We should also get her some new clothes." At Esme's upturned eyebrow Alice continued, "Yes, I know she has clothes but they aren't exactly suited for a human child to wear in a rainy climate." Esme looked to Rose and noted that while she didn't look thrilled to be accompanying Alice on yet another shopping trip, she didn't look completely opposed to the opportunity either.

"That sounds good," Esme responded after evaluating Rose. "We should also take a trip to the grocery store."

"I can go," Carlisle volunteered, "I am well versed in human nutrition, and I should be able to get all that we need. Edward if you don't mind, perhaps you can join me? It would be nice if we could see what other people get their children."

Edward nodded, "Of course, Carlisle, I would be happy to help."

"I have some things I need to get as well," Emmett stated in a surprisingly hushed tone. He proffered a list from his pocket that contained what looked to be various camera and computer parts. When the family looked at him skeptically, for it was rare for Emmett to actually plan anything, he shrugged, "What? I told you that I was going to make sure we capture every moment. Also, I don't think our little Bella will like some of the games I have for my xbox. I need to pick up some things that she will like as well. Oh and movies, I should get her some movies!" He took a pen from his pocket and scribbled a few more items to the end of his list.

Esme could not have been more proud of Emmett at that moment. She was the first to respond to him, "I think that is a wonderful idea Emmett. I am sure that Aro and Suplicia will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Also, it was good of you to think of ways to entertain Isabella. Alice," she turned toward Alice, "Would you and Rosalie mind picking up anything you think would be useful? I am sure you already know what she likes to do for fun." Esme said the last part with a smirk.

Surprisingly, it was Rosalie who responded, "We would be happy to pick some things up Esme." She looked from Esme to the sleeping girl in Esme's arms and gave a brief smile and then turned to Esme again, "So what is the story here? What are we going to tell people about the sudden presence of a five year old in our lives?"

Carlisle was the one to respond, "I was thinking that we could say that she is Esme and I's niece. Perhaps the daughter of Esme's youngest sister?"

"I think that would work," Jasper spoke for the first time since boarding the plane. "She does resemble Esme." At this Esme felt a jolt of happiness. Something about being linked with the little girl in her arms made her heart warm. Jasper, feeling her emotion, gave her a smile and continued; "Now the next issue I think is more complex. What reasoning do we give for her visit? I don't think that it is common to leave little children without their parents for long periods of time."

"That is more difficult." Carlisle agreed, "I wonder if we should say that her mother is ill. This would also allow humans to infer that some of Isabella's aloofness toward them is caused by worry for her mother. It may also keep them from trying to engage her in too many activities."

"While I understand your reasoning, I do not like the idea of pretending that her mother is ill. I don't think Isabella would be okay pretending that was the case." Esme responded.

"I think we are making this too difficult." Rose responded in her usually snappy fashion. "Why don't we just say that she is visiting? The humans don't have to know that she just met us. For all they know, she is perfectly comfortable staying with us without her parents."

"But she isn't comfortable with us." Esme responded sadly.

"Yet, she isn't comfortable with us, yet." Emmett whispered excitedly. "Give us one week with her and we will be like her second family."

Alice broke in after Emmett, "We should just say she is visiting. That is the best course of action." Alice looked as though she wanted to say more but stopped herself. She grinned enigmatically and said, "Little Bella will be waking up soon," she gave Emmett a wink as she used his new nickname for the girl, "and I believe that she will be wanting some lunch. I'll go get her something from the back." She then flitted away.

"Well, you should never bet against Alice," Carlisle said with a chuckle, "we shall simply say she is visiting."

At that moment, Isabella started to stir in Esme's lap. Esme rubbed soothing circles on her back softly and waited for her to wake. A few moments later she was greeted with sleepy looking honey brown eyes. They were still slightly puffy from crying but she did give a brief smile. "I am sorry Mrs. Cullen, I" but Esme cut her off, "No need to apologize, sweetheart. You have had a very difficult day. And please, call me Esme." She smiled gently at the girl, who smiled back.

"Okay; Esme. Do you know when we will be arriving?"

At this Esme chuckled to herself. Yes this little girl was raised like royalty and her speech certainly proved that, however, it didn't stop the fact that she was essentially asking, 'are we there yet?'

"We are about half way to Seattle, and then we will have about a three hour car ride to our home in Forks."

The little girl giggled and almost every vampire aboard the plane turned to the angelic noise and smiled. "You actually live in a place named Forks? Is that not what you use to eat?"

Esme chuckled at the girl's curiosity, "You know I never really questioned the name, but you are right, it is rather silly." She said while gently poking the girl's stomach.

"My Papa told me that the United States would be full of surprises." At the mention of her father the little girl seemed to deflate. Esme, not wanting to lose this moment with her quickly picked up on that train of thought.

"I think you will like it in the states. We have lots of fun and exciting things to do and try. You will have lots of fun; I will make sure of it."

Isabella seemed to perk up a bit and continued to ask Esme question after question about what sorts of things they would do and what the US was like. Esme was surprised at how quickly the girl had warmed up to her. She was thrilled that Isabella seemed to be comfortable with her enough to carry on a conversation. No doubt this was Aro and Suplicia's influence. She knew that they must have spoken to young Isabella and told her that there was nothing to fear. It was a testament to her love for her parents that she trusted them so implicitly. Isabella seemed to find an end to her line of curiosity and looked thoughtfully up at Esme. She then whispered, "You remind me of Aunt Dora and Aunt Di. Mama and Papa were right about you." She then flushed at her admission and looked away from Esme. At that moment Alice arrived with a plate of food.

"Here you are princess, I am sure that you are hungry."

Isabella looked at the plate and then at Alice and grinned, "Thank you, Alice." She started to eat her food and then turned to look at Alice, "You do not have to call me princess," she said shyly.

"Oh I know I don't _have_ to, I just want to." Alice stated dramatically, which caused Isabella to release a small giggle. Alice beamed that she got the little girl to giggle and continue, "So if you don't want me to call you princess, whatever will I call you?"

After a couple of bites Isabella looked back to Alice, "My name, silly."

"But everybody can call you Isabella; I want to have a special name for you."

Isabella continued to giggle at Alice's antics and pointed out. "But everyone can also call me princess."

Alice slumped and looked as though she was in deep thought, then before she responded Emmett swept in and boomed, "Alice, you already know we are going to call her Bella."

Isabella, instead of being frightened by Emmett's sudden appearance, giggled all the more at the two of them. She looked to Emmett and smiled before saying, "I like Bella, and no one has ever called me that before. It is much better than princess." She scrunched up her nose as if she smelt something unappealing when she uttered the last word.

Emmett beamed and pumped his fist in the air and then he addressed Bella, "So Bella-bear, what do you like to do for fun?"

The little princess continued to answer both Emmett and Alice's questions while she finished her meal. Esme sat next to her contemplating the last statement the girl expressed to her. 'What did she mean, she reminded her of her Aunt Dora and Aunt Di?' Esme wasn't sure if she wanted to be compared to the other two queens of the Volturi. Yet when she thought back to the goodbyes shared with the two women, she did notice how Isabella seemed to cling to them. Perhaps it was a good thing to be compared to them.

As if reading her thoughts, which he probably was, Edward approached as Isabella was finishing her lunch. "So, Bella," he said with a slight smirk for using her new nickname, before looking at her sincerely, "Would you mind telling us about your family?"

Esme began to chastise Edward in her thoughts for being so callous to the child. She didn't need to be reminded of what she lost this morning. But before she could tell Isabella that they could talk about it later, Isabella began to speak.

"What would you like to know about them?" At this, the rest of the Cullen family, with the exception of Rosalie, had come to gather around to show the girl she was listening. Esme knew that Rosalie was listening intently as well; she just didn't outwardly want to show any interest. Esme thought she would need to talk to her if the behavior persisted. Isabella seemed to be very observant and would most likely notice and be affected by Rosalie's coldness.

"Well we got a chance to meet your mother and father, but we didn't get a chance to meet your aunts and uncles. What are they like?"

Bella's eyes seemed to brighten at this and she launched into her descriptions, "Well first there is Uncle Marcus. He is very quiet, but he loves to play the piano. He has been teaching me. He also has a vampire gift; he can see relationships between people. That's why he says he knows that he is my favorite uncle." She stopped briefly to giggle and smile at the memory. Then Emmett interrupted,

"Is he your favorite?"

She gave Emmett a pointed glance that Esme assumed she picked up from Suplicia, "Mama says it's not polite to have favorites. It can hurt people's feelings."

"But you do have a favorite." Emmett responded with a conspiratorial grin.

She grinned sheepishly and continued without answering the question, "Uncle Cauis is skilled at strategy. We play chess together. Aunt Dora and Aunt Di are the best. Aunt Dora plays with me in the garden and Aunt Di reads to me. She has the best voices; I could listen to her read to me for hours. Aunt Dora was the one who gave me my puppy, Pocio." Her eyes glazed briefly as if in memory, and Alice chimed in.

"Will you tell us about it?"

"Sure. I always wanted to have a pet, and I begged Mama and Papa to get me one for my birthday. But they did not wish for me to have one. One day, a week before my birthday, my Aunt Dora woke me up and told me I would not be attending my lessons. At first I was disappointed because I really enjoy Uncle Marcus's lessons, and he was going to be teaching me history that day, but my Aunt Dora always has the best surprises," She trailed off with a grin. "Then she took me to our special place in the garden and waiting for me was Pocio with a purple bow around his neck. She said he was the most intelligent of dogs and would be a good protector. We spent the rest of the day playing with him."

"What did your parents say when they found out she bought you a dog?"

"I am not sure if I heard all of it but I did hear something about she just thought they did not want me get a dog for my birthday, so as long as the dog was not a birthday present she thought it was okay." Bella looked up at Alice with innocent eyes and said seriously, "I do not think they agreed with her. They started talked really fast and Mama put her hands on her hips and gave Aunt Dora the glare," she said as her eyes widened in seriousness.

"But they let you keep him?"

"Yes, but I do not believe they were happy with the decision. The puppy had to stay with Aunt Dora and Uncle Cauis. Mama also said something about Aunt Dora's wrapping and my fingers, but I didn't understand. Aunt Dora did not wrap Pocio, she just put a bow on him. I do not think that counts. Maybe Mama wanted her to have wrapped him properly?" She shrugged her shoulders at her last statement.

Alice chuckled heartily as did the rest of the Cullens knowing that Suplicia surely meant that she thought Athendora was wrapped around Isabella's finger and was therefore spoiling the child.

Edward chimed in again after the laughter subsided. "So, what about the rest of your family?"

"Well Felix, Demetri, and Alec, they are members of the guard and are like my big brothers. We play lots of games together. They are all really strong. Alec, can create a mist. We always win when we play hide and seek against the others. I think it is because they are afraid of the shadows he creates."

The Cullens glanced at each other knowing full well that Alec's gift robbed people of their senses. It was a frightening gift and more frightening that the "gift" was used on a child.

Carlisle cut in, "Did the mist not affect you at all?"

"Nope," Isabella said happily. "His mist does not scare me." She said with the bravado of a typical five year old.

"So you can still see in the mist?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be able to see?" She cocked her head to the side while staring curiously at Carlisle.

"Never mind, dear. Please continue telling us about your family." He nodded encouragingly.

Isabella looked suspicious but continued after another brief glance at Carlisle. "Heidi, my big sister likes to go shopping with me. She always takes me to get gelato after. I've spent the most time around humans with Heidi. And Jane is my other sister," her eyes misted at her name, "I miss Jane the most. "

At that, the small girl stopped talking and hung her head.

Alice took Bella's hand and spoke gently, "Thank you for telling us about your family, Bella. I look forward to hearing more about them." She gave her hands a small squeeze and continued, "So, I see that this plane is fully stocked! How about we watch a movie together? By the time it finishes we should be landing."

At the promise of a way to make time move faster, Bella's eyes lit up. "Okay! What should we watch?"

"Whatever you want… princess." Alice said with a wink.

Bella paused at the pet name and then smiled when she realized Alice was joking. After picking out a movie, she looked up sheepishly up at Esme. As if by instinct, Esme reached out her arms toward the girl and she crawled into Esme's lap and settled in to watch the movie. Esme's heart soared. She now knew that this precious angel loved her aunts very much and that she, herself, reminded her of them. Esme couldn't be happier. She had thought that Isabella was going to shy away from her and her family, but the opposite appeared to be true. She had opened up to them just as they had with her. She knew they were going to all be changed.

About half way through the movie, Isabella fell asleep in Esme's arms again. "I knew she was going to do that," Alice smirked.

"She is a remarkable child. Can you believe that Alec's gift does not work on her?" Carlisle said, clearly wanting to return to the earlier conversation.

Esme smiled at her husband, he was always fascinated by learning new things. She could see that spending time with this child was going to be exciting and new for him.

"I cannot hear her thoughts either." Edward added to the conversation.

Carlisle looked to be in deep thought. "Jasper, can you feel her emotions?"

"Yes, but only when she is feeling something strongly. I didn't feel any emotion from her during her talk about her family until she mentioned Jane. I felt so much sadness. If I didn't know she was human I would have thought she was a vampire, her emotion was that strong. I was able to cheer her up though. Well actually I am not sure if it was me or Alice who lifted the sadness," he said while smiling fondly at his wife.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected. I never thought I would see the day that Jane Volturi won the heart of a child," Carlisle mused.

Carlisle's musing was cut off by the captain announcing their descent and subsequent arrival into Seattle. Alice had managed to arrange transport from the private runway to the parking garage where their cars were being kept. Alice turned and spoke, "Okay everyone, you have your list of things," she smirked while eying Emmett. Clearly, she was still amused about him creating an actual list. "Let's go shopping!"

Esme smiled at Alice and turned to Jasper, "Would you mind coming with me to take Isabella home?"

"Of course, Esme. How about you let me carry her?" Esme narrowed her eyes but Jasper continued, "I only ask because it may look strange to the humans that you are able to carry a sleeping child for a long distance. Most humans of your stature," he said while looking uncomfortable, "would not be able to do so."

"You're right of course, my apologies Jasper."

Jasper swooped in and picked Isabella up gently from Esme's lap. She stirred briefly in his arms and then settled when Jasper whispered, "Go back to sleep, darling."

When they arrived at the car Esme sat in the back with Isabella and Jasper set to drive them home.

'Home,' Esme thought. She couldn't wait to take Isabella home.

a/n: up next, Bella spends time at home with the Cullens.


	5. Chapter 5: Settling In

A/N: You guys are so great! I'm so glad that there are more people out there that like Esme/Bella mother/daughter pairings.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 5: Settling In

Once Jasper, Esme, and Bella arrived home, Esme gently roused the little girl. "Wake up sweetie."

Bella's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at Esme. "Have we arrived?"

Esme smiled again at the small indication that Isabella was in fact a child, "Yes, we just got home. We also stopped to pick you up some dinner. Are you hungry?"

"I am. Will you eat with me? Mama and Papa always ate dinner with me."

Esme raised her eyebrow in shock, "They ate human food?"

Bella giggled, "No silly. Vampires do not eat human food."

Esme nearly gasped but composed herself while trying to phase her thoughts delicately, "Do you mean that they fed while you were with them?"

"Of course, why wouldn't they? Mama always says that families should eat dinner together."

Esme was floored. How stupid of Aro and Suplicia to feed in front of their daughter. What if they lost control? More importantly, how could they stand to murder innocent humans in front of their daughter every night? Jasper had now entered the room looking just as panicked as Esme. He spoke when it became clear that Esme couldn't continue; the waves of outrage and panic flowing from her making it impossible for her to speak. "I am sorry for interrupting Bella, but I don't think we completely understand. Are you saying that your parents fed from humans in front of you?"

Bella's eyes widened in shock, and then they narrowed at Jasper. He felt a brief stab of anger from her. "Why would you say something like that?" Her Italian accent becoming more prominent than usual from her outrage. "Papa and Mama have a cup of blood while I eat human food."

Esme and Jasper visibly relaxed. Esme was still shocked that Aro and Suplicia could stand to drink blood in front of their daughter, but perhaps without the hunt, their killer instincts were not roused. She was also still completely stunned that Isabella was so accepting of what most humans would find terrifying. She presumed that being raised by vampires must have made her immune to feeling fear in the face of blood-drinking predators.

Jasper responded to Bella, "I am very sorry for that Bella. I didn't mean to upset you or suggest that your parents would do something like that. Please forgive me. It appears that there is much we have to learn about how the Volturi operates."

"It is okay, Jasper, I understand. So does this mean that I will be eating alone while I am here?" She looked crestfallen.

Esme quickly regained herself and spoke softly, "Oh sweetie, how about we sit with you while you eat? Would that be okay?"

"Okay." She perked up slightly but her spirits were still dampened.

"Come on sweetie, let's go sit down."

Jasper followed them and the three of them sat in the dining room while Bella ate her dinner. While Bella was eating she looked up at Jasper.

"Jasper, why do you talk differently?"

Jasper smirked. "The same reason you talk differently, darling."

Bella scrunched her nose up in confusion. Esme thought it was the most adorable expression. She hoped that Emmett would make good on his promise and capture all of her different expressions.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you are from a different country, so you talk differently."

"But you sound different from the rest of your family? Are you not from this country?" She cocked her head to the side.

Jasper chuckled, "Well this country is pretty big. People from different regions talk a bit differently from each other. I am originally from the southern part of the country. This is how people talk there."

"Oh," she looked at him thoughtfully, "but you still speak the same language?"

"Yep," he said with a grin. Bella looked suspicious but she let the matter slide. As she finished up her dinner Esme turned to her.

"How about we go get you bathed and ready for bed? "

"Okay, Esme." She then took Esme's outstretched hand and followed her to the bathroom.

Esme helped Bella brush her teeth and got her into the tub. She helped her bathe and washed her long curly hair. Bella seemed to particularly enjoy the suds the shampoo left and she made a mental note to get some bubble bath for the little girl. As she though this she heard Jasper call up, "Alice told me to inform you that she already got some and they will also be home in just over an hour." Esme smiled and called down her thanks. She held up a large fluffy towel and hoisted Bella out of the tub. She wrapped the towel around her and cradled her for a bit. She decided that this was her favorite part of the whole bath experience; she felt she could really hold this little girl like this forever. She then proceeded to finish drying her and helped her into her pajamas. She brushed and dried her hair, relishing in the feeling of running her fingers through her silky locks.

"Mama usually braids my hair before bed. It helps stop the tangles. I do not like tangles." She said with a slight pout.

"I'll braid it for you, sweetheart," Esme said while slowly parting her hair and braiding it. She took her time because she really didn't want this moment to end. But eventually she realized that there was nothing left to help the girl with and she reluctantly tied off the end and gently squeezed her shoulders. "All finished, honey."

"Thank you, Esme."

"Are you tired?" She said while cupping her cheek. She couldn't seem to help it, she always felt the need to show some sort of affection toward the girl.

"Can I stay up for a little while?"

"Just for a little while. I know it feels early but it will help you adjust to the change in time."

"Will you read to me?"

Esme smiled at the request. "I'd love to. How about we go up to the library and pick out a book and then we can go up to my room and read on my bed." Bella's face lit up as she nodded and grabbed Esme's hand.

Esme read to Bella until she heard Bella's breaths even out her heartbeat begin to slow. She placed the book on the side table and shut off the light. She stroked the girl's cheek and watched her sleep until she heard the rest of her family arrived home. She then pressed a gentle kiss to Bella's cheek and lifted herself from the bed and quietly exited the room.

As she descended the stairs she saw Carlisle and Edward unloading food in the kitchen. She could hear Jasper informing them of their earlier conversation about vampire feeding. Carlisle looked up at Esme.

"I cannot believe it! I never thought the Volturi would change their feeding habits."

"Carlisle," Esme questioned, "is it safe for them to drink blood in front of her. Does it not make them lost control?"

"I can only speculate, but I assume it would be safe for a number of reasons. Firstly, Isabella doesn't actually smell like a human so I doubt that she is appealing. Secondly, Aro and Suplicia are millennia old, and as such, their control is impeccable."

"Could we…" she started before trailing off, almost as if she was afraid to voice her question. Carlisle, however, seemed to know what his wife was asking.

"I do not know, Esme. I would hypothesize that without the need to actually hunt, the beast-like instinct would not be triggered. Also, because the blood is not fresh, it should be less enticing. We could test it during different stages of thirst to determine if we…" Before he could finish, Esme cut him off.

"We will not be _testing_ anything on Isabella."

Carlisle simply smiled at his wife. He enjoyed the mama-bear like protection that was gleaming in her eyes. He raised his hands in surrender, "I was not suggesting that we test my theory on Bella, we can test it at crash sites. If we don't feel the need to attack humans on which we can actually smell their blood flowing, then I think we will be safe to be around Bella, who doesn't even smell human."

"We would all need to be tested, and even then I am not sure I am okay with us feeding in front of Isabella."

"We will leave the decision completely up to you. If you do not feel as though it is safe, we will trust your instincts."

At that moment, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice came bustling in. "We are back. Where is little Bellaboo?" Emmett questioned eagerly.

"She just fell asleep, you can see her in the morning," Esme responded.

"Great," Alice began, "Now we can set up her room and it'll be ready before she wakes up!" She drug Rosalie after her to set up all the things they bought for her room.

"Did you get everything on your list, Emmett?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, and I got a few more things as well. I think I am going to go set everything up!" His whole face lit up like it was Christmas morning and he sped off to set up everything he purchased.

Esme turned toward the rest of her family, "I am going to go hunt; I'll be back in a few hours. Please keep an ear out for Isabella."

After hunting, Esme quickly washed up and returned to watch Bella just before she woke up. She watched as she reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes and she called to her softly. "Bella, sweetie, are you ready to get up and have some breakfast?"

"You called me Bella," she responded sleepily.

Esme looked at her and raised her eyebrow slightly, "Is that okay?"

"I like that you called me Bella." She smiled sleepily. "Breakfast sounds good. Is everyone else here?"

"Yes, and they are all excited to see you."

"Even Rosalie," she whispered very softly and her eyes misted over faintly.

Esme cursed inwardly at herself for not speaking to Rosalie the night before. She pushed her thoughts aside and gave Bella a small smile, "Yes, even Rosalie. She takes a while to warm up. I promise that she is excited to see you again. She even helped set up your new room."

Bella's face lightened in curiosity and Esme could almost see the questions swirly in her eyes. "New room?" Her face scrunched in her adorable expression of confusion. Alice burst into the room she playfully kissed Bella on the cheek.

"You want to go see it?"

"Yes, please!" Bella jumped from the bed and took Alice's hand. Alice ushered her down the hall and then covered her eyes with her hands before opening the door. When she positioned Bella in the center of the room, she removed her hands and said, "Open your eyes, princess."

Bella twirled around as her eyes widened and took in the room. She smiled brightly and turned to Alice, "Oh, thank you Alice. I love it!" She continued to look around and took in the shelves stocked with books and toys. Then her eyes landed on the bed covered with a purple duvet and lavender pillows. At the center of the bed was a stuffed dog with a purple collar. Bella picked up the toy and squeezed it, "Purple is my favorite color, how did you know?"

"It's my gift, remember Bella? I had a vision of what you room would look like and I knew you would love it."

Bella beamed. "I do love it, thank you again," she said as she lunged at Alice and hugged her tightly. Alice swung her around and picked her up and started to carry her down the stairs.

"Let's go get you some breakfast, princess."

After finishing breakfast, Alice took Bella upstairs to change and get ready. Esme was reluctant to let Bella out of her sight. She realized, though, that this wasn't just an opportunity for her to spend time with the little girl, but it was an opportunity for her entire family. So with that in mind she set off to talk to Rosalie.

"I don't know what you want from me, Esme. It's not like I said anything to the girl."

"That's the problem. She thinks you don't like her. She said as much when you were out hunting this morning," Esme chastised with a stern glare.

"She really said that." Rosalie seemed sad for a moment and then returned back to her cold features.

"Don't do that, Rosalie." At Rosalie's upturned eyebrow, Esme continued. "Don't pretend you don't care. I have seen how you look at her when you think we aren't looking. Tell me what is going on with you. I would have thought that you would have loved to get the chance to be a family to such a precious child."

"She's going to break our hearts," Rosalie snapped. "Don't you realize that she is only here temporarily? Once the war is over and it is safe for her to return, she is going to leave us. She will go back to her real family and she will leave us." Rosalie crossed her arms and tried to appear angry but Esme saw the venom pooling in her eyes.

"I know that," Esme whispered and took Rosalie's hand in her own. "I know that we will be heartbroken when she leaves. But this may be the only chance we have to spend with a child. Even if it is only six months, don't you think it is worth it? She needs us Rosalie. She needs us to love her." Esme hesitated before continuing, "I think that you need her too." With that being said, she left Rosalie to her thoughts and sought out Bella and Alice.

a/n: Next up, Bella spends some time with Emmett and Jasper. Don't worry, Bella will worm her way into Rosalie's heart yet, she's just stubborn.


	6. Chapter 6: History and Baseball

A/N: Thanks again for your reviews! They mean a lot!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 6: History and Baseball

Bella spent the rest of the morning learning about American history from Jasper. After Esme and Alice learned that she normally spent at least a part of her day with some sort of schooling they set out to make a schedule for her so as to provide as much normalcy as they could. Esme was surprised that her parents would give her such a rigorous schedule so young, but Bella seemed to be thriving under their tutelage. Jasper happily volunteered to teach his favorite subject while they got everything settled.

Esme and Alice, after much discussion, decided that Alice would help Bella with basic arithmetic, Carlisle would teach her about rudimentary science, and Esme would help with her reading and writing. To supplement the basics, they asked Edward to continue her piano lessons and Emmett to help her get daily exercise. Emmett was particularly thrilled because this would mean that he would get basically play games with Bella, which he was planning on doing already. In fact, he had already set up a playground and volleyball net in the backyard. He also got her a baseball mitt and bat. If she was going to be a part of this family, she would definitely need to learn to play their favorite sport.

After they got most everything arranged they still had one issue. Rosalie. Alice thought Rose would be perfect to help her with her another language as she was quite versed in French. Esme was not necessarily opposed to the idea, but she was concerned. Rosalie still hadn't shown much interest in spending time with the girl and she didn't want to force the issue. On the other hand she knew that Rosalie would regret not spending time with the girl in the end. She also didn't want Bella to be subjected to Rosalie's harsh nature. Alice, sensing Esme's indecision, decided to chime in,

"Don't worry Esme; everything is going to work out. I know it. You have to give Rose some time."

"We don't really have time, Ali." Esme responded with a sad smile.

"We have time, Esme. Please do not think any more on this. Everything will work out." Alice's smile showed understanding, but her eyes were enigmatic. Esme knew that Alice's gift allowed her to see possible futures. She didn't often share what the future held as it could change the outcomes. Esme normally didn't press her daughter, but in this one instance she wanted nothing more than to know what Alice meant by her statement, 'we have time.' As far as Esme knew, time was something they had very little of. Could she mean that they would get more time? She knew in her heart though that as much as she would like more time with little Bella, it was unfair to take more time away from her parents.

Jasper and Bella entering the living room interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to them and smiled. Just seeing Bella interact and breathe life into her family was enough for her she decided. That must have been what Alice was referring to with her mysterious statement. Bella ran up and hugged Esme tightly. She closed her eyes and savored the warmth of her small embrace. When Bella pulled away she saw that her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Jasper just told me all about American Indian tribes. Did you know that there is one that lives here in Forks? Do you think we could go visit them?" Jasper had the decency to look sheepish. He should have known that if he mentioned the tribe to Bella that her innate curiosity would drive her to want to meet them.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm not sure if we would be able to do that." At this statement, Bella looked crushed. Esme immediately wished she could soothe the frown from her angelic face. She hugged her tighter before she spoke again. "Because of what we are, we are not allowed on their land and they choose not to associate with us."

"I understand," she said morosely.

In an attempt to press on and change the focus of the conversation, Alice chimed in, "What else did you learn about with Jasper today, Bella?" At this, Bella's eyes brightened and she launched into a full account of what she had learned about the early peoples of the Americas. Esme and Alice couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at the leavening of the previously tense atmosphere. As Bella was finishing up her summary of her morning's teaching, Esme took a moment to observe Bella's various expressions. Her brows would pull together and pucker when she was trying to remember something specific and then her eyes would widen and sparkle when she was able to recall the thought. Esme couldn't help herself; she gave the girl an affectionate squeeze and smiled down at her, content to listen to her bell-like voice. Esme made sure to be an attentive listener though; wanting to show Bella that her thoughts and stories were important to her.

When Bella finished Esme responded, "It sounds like you had a very exciting morning. Did you work up an appetite? Would you like to have some lunch?"

"I would like that." She then turned to Jasper, "Thank you Jasper, I really liked learning about the history here."

"It was my pleasure, darling. Come on, let's get you that lunch."

Esme carried Bella into the dining room and Alice and Jasper followed. Esme served up Bella some lunch and they carried on a light conversation while she ate. Emmett flew into the room with an excited flourish. "Bella! Guess what we are going to do this afternoon?"

"What will we be doing?" She said with excitement.

"I have decided that the first thing you need to learn is baseball. It's an American pastime and a favorite family game." He then turned to Alice, "I'll need your help, Alice. Esme, you and Jasper should come too. Oh and one of you be sure to take a camera!"

Esme, Jasper, and Alice all nodded their acceptance and Bella responded to Emmett, "Sounds fun. I've never heard of the game. How do you play?" Emmett proceeded to explain the ins and outs of the game. Bella looked as though she didn't quite believe some of what she was hearing but her upbringing prevented her from expressing her skepticism as it would be seen as rude.

Once they were in the backyard, Emmett launched into teaching Bella the basics of the game. She soon proved to be more coordinated than the vampire family anticipated. Esme wondered if growing up with vampires had somehow influenced her motor skills. Perhaps the expectation of higher performance actually led to higher levels of performance? Carlisle came home from work in the middle of the training and then he and Edward joined to watch the rest of the training. They both marveled at the agility of the princess. Edward even asked Carlisle if her ability was consistent with children her age. Carlisle responded in the negative.

After Emmett trained Bella on the basics of game play, they all decided to play a short game at human strength and speed. Normally, they wouldn't enjoy having to hold back while playing, but for some reason, playing with Bella was enough. Even while they enjoyed the game Emmett still informed Bella that she would have to observe the vampire version during the next thunderstorm. Bella seemed excited by the prospect and expressed a desire for the weather to comply soon. During the game, Esme briefly glanced at the house and saw Rose watching from the upper window. She motioned for her to join but was met with a dismissive shake.

"How about we go get you settled for a little nap and then when you wake up we will get you some dinner?" Carlisle asked Bella softly when he noticed she was tiring. As if her body was choosing to respond, Bella yawned and then nodded her assent. Carlisle took her hand and led her up to her room. On the way up Esme heard him ask if she would like to join him at work the following morning. She smiled to herself thinking of her husband and the little girl spending more time together.

While Bella was napping, Emmett loaded up all of the pictures on the computer and the family gathered around to pick out their favorites. Esme's personal favorite was the shot of Bella just after she hit the ball for the first time. Immediately after hitting the ball she had looked to Esme, her face lit up with a mix of surprise and joy. The whole family had celebrated her hit and Emmett responded by lifting her on his shoulders and running her around the bases cheering.

Alice pointed out her favorite after Esme. It was the photo of Bella and Esme laughing together. During the game Jasper hit the ball and Emmett was running to tag him out. Alice ended up holding Emmett back so Jasper could get on base. Bella was so amused at the sight of the hulking Emmett being held back by the pixie Alice that she fell into a fit of giggles. Esme naturally followed and Carlisle was able to capture the moment. After staring at the photo for a few moments, Carlisle turned and spoke softly in Esme's ear, "I think this is my favorite as well. I know that she is not our daughter but anyone looking at this picture would not be able to deny the bond you have with her. It is truly amazing how close you are considering she has only been with us for such a short time." He looked toward the picture again and smiled adoringly.

Alice, pulling the vampires from their gazing, suggested they have a picnic for dinner and Esme went to the kitchen to start preparations while Carlisle went to wake up Bella from her nap. While Esme was making dinner she reflected on the past few hours. She had never spent so much time with her family in a single day. She hoped that the trend would continue. For even though they had all been together for decades, she never felt more like a family. The only dark spot was Rosalie, but she trusted Alice. She knew that she would come around. Jasper and Alice joined her in the kitchen and interrupted her thoughts.

"You know I've never felt everyone have such peace and happiness," mused Jasper. "It's nice. It almost feels as though I've been given a reprieve from experiencing everyone's emotions."

Esme had never considered what Jasper must feel like all of the time. Sure she knew that when people were extremely emotional he tended to suffer but she had never considered how taxing it would be to feel everyone's emotion at all times. She was pleased that he was able to find some peace basking in the collective happiness of the family. Alice looked to him and took his hand and spoke knowingly, "I have a _feeling_ this feeling will last for quite some time." The comment made Esme grin. Esme knew that Alice was keeping something from them and she was content with not knowing. However, when she made comments like this, she felt as though small pieces of her worry about what would happen in the future slip away. She didn't want to build walls around herself because she was worried about the unknown.

Carlisle returned with Bella as they were finishing up with dinner preparations. Edward took a large blanket outside and the all settled in and joked and laughed while Bella ate her dinner. Emmett took to trying different bits of Bella's food, making Bella giggle when he would wrinkle his nose and spit it out. Esme was too happy to stop and chastise him so this continued for the duration of dinner.

When Bella was finished, Carlisle turned and asked if she would be able to briefly discuss going with him to work tomorrow. When she agreed he said,

"So you know, Bella, I work around quite a few humans. Will you be okay with that? Your father informed us that you haven't had much experience interacting with humans. I don't want you to be overwhelmed."

"I will be okay. Heidi has taken me out quite a bit, so I have been around humans. I have not really talked with them though. Are they really weird?"

Carlisle chuckled at the question, "Some are weird. I will tell you that most of the nurses and other doctors will probably want to talk to you. If it is alright with you I will tell them that you are my niece and are visiting for a while."

"What will they want to talk to me about," she paused briefly and added, "Uncle Carlisle?" with a grin.

He grinned back and ruffled her hair affectionately. Alice butted in to respond to her question, "Honestly, they will probably fawn all over you and talk about how cute you are." Bella blushed crimson.

Carlisle nodded in agreement and continued, "Also, they may try to press you for details about our lives. We are very private and humans do tend toward the desire to gossip."

"I understand," Bella replied solemnly. "Uncle Cauis always told me before I would go out with Heidi that I could not say anything that could reveal that they were vampires." She looked slightly exasperated before she added, "he was always very," she paused as if trying to find the appropriate word, "lengthy." The family laughed knowing all too well that Cauis was the king that was the strictest about following every rule. They had also just learned that he was apparently quite verbose.

Carlisle smiled at her, "Would it be alright if Edward joined us? It may be useful to have his skill so we can be sure that we don't raise any suspicion."

"That's okay with me," she then turned to look at Esme, "Are you coming too?"

Esme quickly glanced at Carlisle to see if he was okay with her accompanying them to the hospital and potentially disrupting his work. He nodded that he was okay with her joining and then she responded to Bella. "Would you like me to come?"

Bella blushed slightly and lowered her gaze before responding, "I thought it might be nice if you came, just in case," she trailed off. Esme gently cupped her chin and raised her head so she could look the girl in the eyes.

"I would love to come with you. And don't worry, if you get scared or overwhelmed at any time just let me know and we can go to Carlisle's office. I happen to know that he has a few games we could play as well as some snacks," she ended trying to bring some levity to the conversation.

Bella beamed at her. Carlisle broke in, "Just remember Bella, if Esme comes you will have to refer to her as your aunt as well." If possible, Bella's grin spread.

"I can do that."

Esme closed her eyes and took a moment to soak in the happiness. She turned to Carlisle and playfully stated, "Well seeing as my niece has a busy day tomorrow," she practically glowed when she referred to Bella as hers, "we should get up and get her ready for bed." She reached for Bella's hand and pulled her up before turned back to the rest of the family, "would you mind getting the things inside?" When they nodded their agreement she turned back around and walked with Bella back to the house.

Following the same pattern as the night before, Esme helped Bella brush her teeth, bathe, and wash her hair. As she was lifting her out of the tub wrapped in the towel she again reveled in the moment. After she got her dressed and fixed her hair in her braid Alice knocked softly on the door. "Esme, are you finished? Someone would like to speak with Bella." Esme looked confused but opened the door to see Alice holding on to Carlisle's cell phone.

"Hey sweetie," Alice looked toward Bella, "guess who wants to say 'goodnight'?"

Bella practically launched herself at the phone, but still managed to politely thank Alice before delicately taking the phone from her hands. She held it up to her ear almost shaking with excitement.

"Mama?" She asked hopefully.

Esme, of course, could hear Suplicia answer on the other line.

The little girl continued to talk excitedly to her mother. Esme heard her narrate what she had done that day and provided a brief description of each member of the Cullen family and her time spent with them. The slight jealously that flared uninvited was doused when Esme heard the glowing review that she received from the child. They talked for a few more minutes and then Esme heard Aro get on the phone to speak with his daughter. He, having obviously heard Bella's updates, proceeded to tell her about how everyone was doing in Volterra. Bella seemed most concerned about Jane and Pocio. To her delight, Jane decided to get on the phone to provide her own update. It was talking to Jane that caused a few tears to pool in her eyes.

Bella said her goodbyes followed by a few affections spoken in Italian, which Esme was pretty sure translated to 'I love and miss you'. When Esme saw the girl hang up and begin to cry she gently picked her up and carried her to her bed where she held her in her lap. She cooed softly in her ear and rubbed soothing circles on her back. When Bella stopped crying, she looked up with watery eyes and spoke,

"Will you read to me again?" Bella sounded so broken in her plea that Esme was sure that she would have done just about anything she asked.

"Of course. Let's get you under the covers, okay?"

At Bella's nod, Esme tucked her into the bed. Bella scooted herself over until she was nestled in Esme's side and laid her head under her neck. Esme read until Bella drifted off to sleep. Once she was sure the girl was in a deep sleep, she unfolded herself and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart. Goodnight." She whispered as she gently closed the door.

a/n: I feel like this was a bit choppy. I'll be honest; I would rather start on the next chapter than spend time to adjust this one. Sorry! I will probably come back to clean everything up once I finish the story. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7: Hospitals and Movies

A/N: Thanks again for your reviews, you are awesome! They mean a lot!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 7: Doctors and Movies

The next morning as Esme was about to ascend the stairs to wake Bella when she was intercepted by Alice. "No way," Alice stated, "you get to spend all day with her. I get to wake her up and help her get ready." Alice didn't even wait for Esme to respond before she darted up the stairs and headed to wake Bella.

When Alice returned downstairs with Bella in tow, Esme noticed that Alice had taken the care to make sure that Bella was dressed warmly, as the hospital tended to be on the cool side. She had also fashioned her hair in a french braid. Around the edges of her hairline small curls had escaped the tie and they circled her face making her positively adorable. Alice was right; the nurses and other doctors were definitely going to be spending the day fawning over her. She felt a slight tinge of worry, she didn't want Bella to be overwhelmed, but then she reminded herself that this was the reason she was going.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" Esme said accepting Bella's hug.

"I did, thank you." She squeezed her a bit tighter before letting go.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast. We will be leaving in a bit."

Esme and Alice spoke with Bella through breakfast. Mostly inquiring about what she was looking forward to during her visit to the hospital. Bella was beyond excited to, as she stated, "see how strange humans were." Esme was still surprised by the fact that Bella had so little attachment to humans. She was interested in their behaviors but she indicated no desire to form affection toward them. It was especially strange considering how quickly she connected to the Cullens. Perhaps as Aro had said, she truly was fated to be raised by vampires.

When Bella had finished eating, Esme quickly cleared the dishes and helped Bella into a rain coat. Once Esme though Bella was sufficiently bundled she ushered her out to meet with Carlisle and Edward at the car. Once Bella was settled in the back seat with Edward, Carlisle drove them into town toward the hospital. As predicted, once they arrived and people noticed the mysterious Cullens with a small and adorable child walking between them, a swarm of curious nurses surrounded them. Carlisle was quick to step in front of the swarm and he politely began introductions.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to bring mine and Esme's niece, Isabella, in to see where I worked." Esme beamed at the title, but she quickly became irritated as she noticed that Carlisle's protective barrier was diminishing and the swarm was getting closer. Bella seemed to try to merge herself in Esme's side as she glanced out at the sea of faces. Esme quickly scooped the girl up and whispered in her ear.

"It's alright sweetheart, I'm right here."

Edward also whispered to her, "They are just curious and excited to meet you Bella."

The nurses finally broke the barrier completely and closed in around Esme and took turns commenting on how adorable Bella was all while questioning everything and anything about Bella, including where she was and how long she would be staying with the Cullens. Carlisle managed to reign in most of the nurses, but one insistent nurse actually reached for Bella as if to remove her from Esme's grasp. Esme barely suppressed a growl while she turned so she was between Bella and the woman. Edward then chose to step in and redirected the woman by asking about banal pleasantries.

Carlisle spoke again, "I'm sure you will all have a chance to talk with my niece later, but I believe most of you are due for rounds." He then turned to Esme and spoke so only she could hear, "I'm sorry for that my love, I didn't realize they would actually flock to Bella all at once. I would have assumed that they would have had a bit more tact." Esme smiled graciously and Carlisle leaned down and spoke to Bella, "I owe you an apology too, Bella, I promised a day of learning and you were practically attacked when we walked in the door."

Bella took a small breath and looked to Carlisle, "I'm okay. Are humans," she said the last word in the barest of whispers, "always so loud?"

Carlisle stroked her cheek affectionately, "It takes some getting used to. Come, we can put our coats in my office. I only have one patient I need to check on for pre-op and then I can take you on a tour of the hospital."

After settling down and checking on his patient, Carlisle took his family on a brief tour of the hospital. It was clear that word had spread that the mysterious, and dreamy, Cullen doctor had brought some of his family to work and that a new member of said family was also present. Throughout the day, just about everyone on the staff as well as a few visitors had managed to find the enigmatic Cullens. As predicted, everyone fawned over Bella. Their remarks ranged from gushing over how adorable she was, commenting on her endearing accent, to complimenting her impeccable manners.

After every encounter, Bella would ask some clarifying question directed toward either Carlisle or Esme. As the day progressed she directed more and more questions to Edward, obviously noting that his responses were far more detailed coming from the fact that he could actually know the motivation for most of the behaviors. By the end of the tour, Edward simply supplied an explanation without waiting for the prompting questions from the child. He seemed to be delighted at being able to help sate the girl's curiosity and reveled in the opportunity to share and teach her things she didn't know.

Esme was beyond pleased at the changes she saw in Edward. He went from broody and closed off to light-hearted and joyous in the span of a few hours. It was the first time she ever saw him truly enjoy the use of his gift. Usually, he seemed burdened by the onslaught on thoughts he was unable to siphon off. But today, at the opportunity to use the information he gleaned to feed the ever growing curiosity of a child, he seemed to take pride in his ability. He smiled more today than she had ever seen him do previously. Esme also enjoyed seeing Bella soaking up the information Edward was giving her like a sponge. She seemed to never tire of learning.

When they finished their way around the hospital, they made their way to the cafeteria to get something for Bella to eat for lunch, and colleague of Carlisle's approached with a rather large wave.

"Carlisle," a woman in scrubs overlaid with a white doctor's coat intoned, "I had heard through the grapevine that some of your family were here with you today." The woman then looked down at Bella and with mock surprise she continued, "And who is this?"

"Margaret," Carlisle said addressed the man, "this is my niece Isabella, she is visiting. You have already met my son, Edward and my wife, Esme." He gestured at the other two in the group. "Bella, this is a colleague of mine, Dr. Jones."

Margaret kneeled on one knee so she was eye level with Bella and stretched out his hand, "It's great to meet you Isabella. How are liking your visit so far?"

Bella took the woman's outstretched hand and shook it as she had learned to do earlier in the day. She had found the gesture quite amusing and didn't understand the purpose but she mimicked the action she had been taught and responded to the woman's question. "I am enjoyed my visit very much, Dr. Jones. Thank you for asking."

As expected, Margaret cooed and responded, "Aren't you so adorable?! Please, hon, call me Maggie." Esme gave the woman a brief scowl when she used the pet name for Bella but was able to control her features before the woman saw her. Margaret stood back up and gestured to the table behind her, "I was just about to eat, would you care to join me? I would love to hear more about this little one," she said while gesturing to Bella.

Without having a good reason to decline the invitation and knowing the Bella did need to eat, the Cullens and Bella joined Margaret. The lunch was less awkward than anticipated as most of the questions asked by Margaret were shallow and did not require much diversion. Bella was able to remain polite and answer most of the questions honestly while she consumed her meal. It was also fortunate that Bella held most of Margaret's attention so the Cullens were able to pretend to eat, without have to actually ingest any food.

After lunch Margaret left and Bella looked to Edward expectantly. He smirked and happily obliged, "She heard all of the nurses talking about you and us and decided that she wanted to see you for herself. You didn't disappoint. You were just as cute and posed, if not more so, than the rumors claimed." Edward stopped for a moment to poke her in the stomach affectionately. Bella giggled, and then Edward continued. "She had a few disturbing thoughts about hoping you would visit again when you got older so she could pair you up with her son." Edward made a face and then continued, "She also wanted to see if she could learn more about our family. She was hoping to get more information out of you, but she admitted defeat and resigned herself to the fact that you are just like the rest of us. 'Annoyingly mysterious', I believe was her direct thought."

Bella nodded. This was consistent with most of the information that Edward had supplied about the other humans she had met that day. She looked thoughtful for a second and then voiced a question, "Why did she smell so," she paused, trying to find the appropriate and polite word in English before continuing with, "strongly. It was as if I could taste the scent in my mouth. I found it," she paused again, "unpleasant."

At this, Edward barked in laughter and Esme and Carlisle chuckled along with him.

"That would be perfume. Humans wear it to make themselves smell a certain way. Some feel as though it makes them appealing to others and some use it to cover other odors that they think are less pleasant," he finished still chuckling.

"Oh, that is very strange. Someone should inform her that she should find something else." She scrunched her nose in emphasis.

Edward nodded his head in agreement and was about to voice his agreement as well but he was cut off by a child screaming across the room.

"I don't wanna, mommy. You can't make me!" A small boy yelled.

The Cullens and Bella turned toward the disturbance and Esme noted that the boy looked to be about Bella's age. While they were a similar size that was the only similarity. The boy still struggled to command the use of language while Bella seemed to never falter with enunciation. While the boy shouted and moved incessantly in his seat, Bella was quiet and still. Then Esme realized that Bella was always incredibly still. The child didn't engage in movement unless it served an actual purpose. She didn't fidget or move unnecessarily. She pondered this a moment and just as Bella displayed more mental and physical prowess than other humans her age, she also didn't engage in the restlessness of humans. Esme wondered if Bella was more like a vampire than a human.

Edward whispered to her to answer her thought, "I have noticed this as well. Carlisle thinks that being raised by vampires has imbued certain traits, and possibly advantages, into Bella. It seems her mind and body are more advanced than a human's."

As the boy continued to shout and thrown a tantrum, Carlisle said, "Perhaps we should take our leave? It seems as though the cafeteria just got a bit rowdy."

The Cullens and Bella left the cafeteria and made their way to Carlisle's office. On the way a very flirtatious nurse approached the group. He bent down toward Bella and spoke in an exaggerated air, "So the rumors are true! A little beauty is accompanying our esteemed Dr. Cullen." He turned to look at Esme before he spoke again.

"I don't know why I doubted these rumors. For anyone related to you would have to be quite beautiful." He finished with a slimy smile.

Esme bit back the disgust from her voice and replied flatly, "You are too kind." Before the man was able to reach out to Esme, Carlisle interrupted. "You will have to excuse us, Mark. We were just retiring to my office." Carlisle maintained a smile but it did not reach his eyes. Mark took the hint and left slowly, making sure to let his eyes linger on Esme for longer than necessary. When they entered Carlisle's office, Bella broke the silence.

"That man was not polite." She shook her head but was unable to rid her face of her expression of disgust. "Why didn't you growl at him, Carlisle? When people look at Mama like that, Papa always growls. When he growls the other person stops. He is not as frightening as Mama though, one time someone touched Papa on the arm and Mama growled so loudly that the woman started shaking and ran away."

Carlisle smiled and spoke with after a brief laugh, "I bet they do stop, little one. But we should not growl at humans. They would not understand it and it would lead to complications."

"That's too bad, it is most effective," Bella said definitively with a yawn.

Esme chuckled and bent down to pick her up. She spoke softly to Carlisle "I think I'll take her home so she can get a nap." Bella looked to Carlisle and thanked him for a great morning. She also indicated that she would like to come back again if it was possible. When Carlisle informed her that she could return she smiled brightly and reached from Esme's arms to give him a hug.

Esme let Edward drive back and she sat in the backseat with Bella. Bella fell asleep on the ride home so Esme carried her to her room when they arrived. When Esme entered the living room after tucking Bella into her bed, she was met by a bouncing Alice.

"It's going to be raining and dreary outside this evening so we are going to stay in and have a movie night!"

"That sounds lovely, Alice."

"Yes, I will help you make some cookies for the princess. Did you even need to ask?" Alice questioned with a smirk.

Esme laughed at Alice's antics and followed her into the kitchen smiling. They proceeded to make a batch of cookies and then moved on to make Bella some dinner as well. She and Alice talked about a few of Esme's earlier observations about Bella seeming more vampire than human. Then she asked the question that had been plaguing her since she met Bella.

"She is going to be turned one day, isn't she?" Esme wasn't sure if she wanted Alice to say yes or no. On the one hand the thought of knowing Bella forever was heartening. On the other hand, her family never turned anyone unless that had no choice and would die otherwise. She didn't know if she felt comfortable condemning someone to this life.

Alice looked at her curiously, "I am not sure if you are actually ready to know one way or another, Esme."

"I just don't know how I feel, Alice."

"Esme," Alice said taking her hands, "I can say with certainty that when the time comes for a decision to be made you will understand and support it. There are still things that our family is quite in the dark on and as such, we are unable to fully comprehend the situation." Esme tried to press Alice for more information but she gave up quickly when Alice refused to say more. They continued to prepare dinner in silence.

Emmett popped his head into the kitchen and broke the silence with an inquiry about Bella's day; Esme gave him a brief rundown of all that happened. Emmett boomed in laughter when she relayed Bella's reaction to Margaret's perfume.

"I agree with Bella, that woman smells awful!"

Edward came into the kitchen when he heard Emmett's laugh and looked to Esme, "Did you also tell Emmett about the incident with Mark?"

If Esme could blush, she would have in that moment. "I didn't think it was relevant."

"What? That was my personal favorite." Edward turned to Emmett and proceeded. "Do you remember that nurse, Mark?"

"The creepy one that always hits on Esme?"

"Yes, that's the one. He cornered us and carried on in his normal oily demeanor. Bella noticed what was going on and asked why Carlisle didn't growl at him. She seemed to think that that was the best course of action as it had worked for her parents."

Emmett boomed in laughter again. "That's priceless. Can you imagine the look on Mark's face if Carlisle did growl at him? That would be awesome. Carlisle should take Bella's advice."

Esme chided Emmett lovingly and turned back to the cookies while Edward filled Emmett in on the parts of the day Esme had left out. When Edward had finished, Emmett announced that he was going to wake Bella up and play a game with her until her dinner was ready. Esme heard him tell Edward to grab a camera and join them in the living room. Alice and Esme finished up dinner preparations to the sounds of Bella and Emmett's laughter.

When Bella had finished eating dinner, Esme took Bella up to take a bath while the rest of the family cleaned up the kitchen. After getting Bella into fresh pajamas, Esme led Bella by the hand down to the media room. To Esme's shock she saw Rose seated amongst the rest of her family. Esme smiled brightly at Rose and her heart warmed. Alice disturbed the moment by flitting over and grabbing Bella.

"I haven't seen you all day, princess. You are sitting next to me." Alice then picked up the girl and placed her between herself and Rose, giving Esme a cheshire cat grin in the process. Bella and Rose looked decidedly uncomfortable with the seating arrangement, but neither voiced a complaint. Esme brought Bella some milk and cookies and then settled in next to Carlisle to watch the movie.

Esme kept stealing glances at Bella as she was watching the movie. Part of her wanted to check to make sure she was okay, and part of her loved seeing the look on her face as she became fascinated by the movie. When she looked back toward the end of the movie the sight that greeted her almost made her gasp. Bella had fallen asleep and instead of gravitating toward Alice, she had snuggled against Rose's side. Rose was looking down at the child in astonishment mixed with something that Esme could not read. When she glanced back again, Esme could have sworn that she saw a ghost of a smile on Rose's lips as she gazed at the girl.

Esme then looked to Alice who gave her the cheshire grin again and mouthed, 'I told you so.' Before turning to Rose speaking softly so as to not wake Bella, "Rose, you should take her up to bed. She will wake if one of us moves her." Rose scowled at Alice, but agreed all the same. She gently, and almost reverently, picked up the girl and cradled her in her arms before carrying Bella to bed. Esme wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a quiet whispered, 'Good night' coming from Rose before she heard the door to Bella's room shut with a soft thud.

a/n: Rose is coming around. We will see a bit more of her in the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8: Carnival Games

A/N: Thanks again for your reviews, you are awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 8: Carnival Games

Esme and Rosalie went hunting after Rosalie put Bella to bed. On their way back to the house Rosalie began, "Please don't ask me to talk about this, Esme. It does not matter that she fell asleep on me. I am not changing my mind."

Esme desperately wanted to ignore Rose's plea but she refrained from pressing. Instead she brought up the topic of Bella's schooling. "Alice and I were discussing how we could keep Bella entertained during her stay here. She loves learning and everyone has volunteered to take some time to teach her. We were wondering if you might teach her French. She seems quite gifted in language."

Rosalie sighed heavily, "I see that even when I ask you not to discuss something you still find a way to discuss the issue under the guise of something unrelated."

"That was not my intention, Rose. I am sorry. We do not have to discuss it."

Rosalie hesitated uncharacteristically, "I am not sure if it is a good idea for me to teach Bella. Besides she already knows two languages. Does she really need a third?"

Esme didn't push the issue but countered with another question, "Will you at least continue to partake in our evenings as a family?"

Rosalie snorted, "It seems as though everyone is going to be insistent that we do something every night."

"It is nice to spend time together as a family, Rose."

"You do realize that Bella is not family," Rosalie almost sneered. Then her face softened and she proceeded, "But it would be impolite for me to not attend at least some of the time. I do not wish for the Volturi to feel as though I was unwelcoming to their little princess. Tell me, what is the plan for the evening?" She finished with a sarcastic flip of her hand.

Esme was not fooled by the harsh tone, but she wisely did not comment. Instead she simply pretended as though she did not notice the sneer and continued on as though they were having a perfectly happy conversation. "Well I believe that Alice said something about going to the carnival this afternoon. It is supposed to be a lovely day. It'll be nice to get out together."

Rose looked indecisive before responding, "I'm sure Emmett is looking forward to it, I'll come. It is always entertaining to see him become excited over human games."

Esme knew that Rose wasn't just coming to see Emmett, although he would undoubtedly be excited. Rose wanted to see Bella's reaction.

As they were arriving back at the house the rest of the family were going out to hunt. Emmett looked excited, "We are going to go hunt so we are ready to face the human smells later. Are you coming with us to the carnival, Rose?"

When she nodded, he picked her up and swung her around. "Great," he exclaimed, "We don't have any pictures of you and Bella yet, we will be able to get some this afternoon!" Rosalie didn't have time to respond before Emmett bounded off to catch up with the rest of the family.

Rosalie entered the house and shut herself in her room while Esme went to wake up Bella. When Esme entered Bella's room she took a moment to watch her sleeping form and she smiled. She gently shook her shoulder and called to her softly. Bella began to stir and she opened her eyes sleepily. She brightened when she noticed that it was Esme who had woken her.

"Good morning, Esme!" She exclaimed while jumping up to give Esme a hug. Esme returned the hug and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Good morning, sweetheart. We have an exciting day planned for you."

Bella's eyes danced. "Every day has been exciting. I really love spending time with you."

Esme hugged the child tightly again before pulling away. "We love spending time with you. Today is extra special though. We are going to go to a carnival."

Bella's brown knit in confusion, "What's a carnival?"

Esme chuckled, "It is a festival or sorts. There are rides and games to play. I believe that humans also tend to appreciate the various food options available."

"That sounds fun! I've never been to a carnival! When can we go?"

"We will go after your nap this afternoon."

Bella pouted adorably, "If I do not take a nap, can we go sooner?" She looked up to Esme with a hopeful expression.

Esme almost caved at the look on her face but remained firm, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You will need to nap first; If you are better rested you will be able to enjoy it more." Esme hoped that her added explanation would keep the disappointment to a minimum. She was pleasantly surprised when it did.

"That makes sense. What are we going to do this morning?" Bella asked brightly, her previous disappointment forgotten.

"Well you and I," Esme said tapping her on her nose, "will be working on your reading and writing."

"I love reading!" Bella exclaimed and hopped out of bed. She immediately began to make the bed which caused Esme to pause. She had noted that Bella's bed was made the night before last when she went to tuck her in but had assumed that Alice had done it for her. She quirked her eyebrow and voiced a question, "Did you make your bed at home, Bella?"

"Of course. Well not every day. Mama makes my bed on my birthday. Why?"

"Just curious, sweetheart." Esme inwardly grinned at the thought of Suplicia actually making a bed but she didn't voice her thought. Esme turned toward the girl's closet and noticed that Alice had already chosen her outfit for the day. She wondered if Bella minded not being able to pick out her own clothes and decided to check with her. "Sweetheart, do you want to pick out your own clothes? You know you don't have to wear what Alice picks out for you."

"I like wearing what Alice picks out. It makes her happy," Bella responded simply.

"That is very thoughtful of you." Bella shrugged and pulled on the clothes that Alice had chosen for her. Esme fixed her hair and then led her down the stairs. "Would you like to help me make some breakfast? We could make pancakes."

"I never get to help! I would like that very much!" Bella pulled herself up and stood on the chair that Esme pulled up next to her at the counter and they began to start making the batter. When they finished and Bella had eaten, Bella helped Esme clean up and then they made their way back to the dining room and they began their lesson.

After a few hours of instruction Esme and Bella made a quick lunch and then Esme swept Bella up to take a nap. She read to her for a little while until she got sleepy and then left her room after she placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

The rest of the Cullen family arrived shortly after Esme put Bella down for her nap and they quickly changed and got ready to go to the carnival. Emmett made sure to pack up all three cameras he had purchased and then deliberated on who should take them. He muttered more to himself, "I should have gotten a camera for everyone," before deciding the Carlisle, Alice and himself would take the cameras. He also provided strict instructions as he handed the cameras over, "Don't think, just shoot. We can always delete shots later, but we can't recreate moments. I am trusting you with this."

Emmett looked so serious that the rest of the family burst into laughter. Jasper recovered first, "Relax, Emmett. Just enjoy the afternoon."

Emmett looked a bit sheepish and shrugged before changing the subject, "So, do we wake her up, or do we have to wait until she wakes up on her own."

In response he heard a small voice some from behind him, "I am awake. Let's go!"

Emmett cheered and picked Bella up and swung her around a few times. "Your wish is my command princess." He set her down with a bow. Bella giggled and then took his outstretched arm as he led her to the car. "Do you want to ride with me in the Jeep?"

Bella looked to Esme for approval and grinned when she saw her nod. "Great, I'll get you strapped in the back." He then turned to the withdrawn vampire in the corner. "Do you want to sit up front, or in the back, Rose?"

Rose looked from Emmett to Bella before responding, "I'll sit up front, of course." All of the other vampires in the room sent her warning glares and Esme gave her a slight growl in addition to her glare. Rosalie scowled back at her and climbed into the front seat.

Bella, oblivious to the tension in the room, looked happily toward Emmett and asked him if they could get going. Her excitement for the carnival completely overrode the rudeness of the other vampire in the car. The rest of the Cullens climbed in with Carlisle and Esme and they all headed off.

Once they arrived they parked and Esme leaned down and spoke to Bella, "Now remember, sweetie, you need to stay with one of us at all times. It would be best if you held one of our hands while we are moving through crowds."

"Okay, Esme," Bella responded and took Esme's hand. Carlisle spoke as well, "Don't forget, Bella, it is Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle when we are inside."

Bella's eyes went wide with the reminder, "I forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me." Carlisle smiled and ruffled her hair in response. Then he took her other hand and he and Esme led her toward the entrance.

As they made their way through the grounds they stopped to ride some of the rides and play a few games. Bella was somewhat surprised that the rides were so slow, but as she was accustomed to running with vampires, it made sense that the rides would seem a bit below par. Because of this the Cullens spent most of their time playing the games with Bella. The vampires practically fought with each other in order to get to take Bella with them to try different games. They were all so engrossed in playing that they barely noticed the other families surrounding them. Esme would occasionally notice parents and children interacting and she felt the familiar tug of longing. One look at Bella though and the longing diminished. She noted that Bella also seemed to be inquisitive about some of the other families. When Esme asked her about it, she told her she was just curious.

When they had finished trying out most of the games, Emmett suggested going through the fun house. They made their way through and were amused by some of the features. There was a room with various mirrors covering the walls and another with clowns that popped out of a giant jack-in-the-box type toy. When they reached the other end, Esme looked around for Bella. She searched the hand of every vampire and couldn't spot her. She began to panic.

"Where is Bella," she exclaimed somehow managing to keep the terror out of her voice.

The rest of the vampire family joined Esme's panic. Esme looked to Alice, "Can you see her?" Alice eyes widened and she spoke fearfully, "It's blank."

Carlisle then took charge. "Everyone separate and search." He gave everyone brief orders containing areas to search and informed everyone to text if they found her.

Esme was at the front desk reporting Bella as missing when her phone went off in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a text from Rose. She had found her. Esme made a hasty retreat after thanking the woman at the front desk and ran back toward the funhouse. When she arrived she saw Rose holding a soothing a tearful girl in her lap. She sighed in relief and when she went to inhale she was met with the most repugnant smell.

She looked up to find herself staring at none other than Billy Black. He looked at her warily and then spoke in a deep timbre, "Hello Mrs. Cullen. It appears as though my son, Jacob, found something of yours."

Esme, having never harbored a grudge against the tribe of shifters spoke with sincerity, "I am eternally grateful, Mr. Black. I don't know what we would have done if something would have happened to Bella." She then turned toward Jacob, "I thank you as well young Jacob." Esme almost reached out her hand to shake theirs but thought better of it. "What happened?" She was looking at Rose and Bella but Jacob was the one to speak.

"We were going through the funhouse and when we got to the room with the mirrors I heard someone crying. I found Bella in the corner and brought her out to see my dad."

Billy continued to fill in some necessary details, "The clowns seemed to frighten Bella and she ran back to try to escape through the entrance but go stuck in the room of mirrors."

Esme immediately reached out to stroke Bella's hair. Esme felt terrible. How could they have lost her? They were vampires, how did they lose one human child? The guilt began to overwhelm her and surprisingly Billy was the one to help calm her.

"Do not worry, Mrs. Cullen. These things happen to the best of us. Your," he hesitated not knowing the relationship of the girl to Esme, "child" he settled on a vague term, "will be fine."

Esme felt marginally better and leaned down to look at the child in Rose's arms. "Bella, sweetie, are you okay?" As she was finishing her statement the rest of the family arrived and surrounded them. Bella nodded and turned her head to look at Esme, "I am sorry I ran off, I was afraid."

"I understand, honey. We are just glad you are alright. I don't know what we would do if something would have happened to you." She started to rub soothing circles in Bella's back. Then she heard Billy speak to Carlisle,

"Mr. Cullen, it appears as though we have some things to discuss regarding the treaty."

Carlisle nodded, "Can we meet tomorrow? I think after what happened tonight, we all just want to get home." Billy agreed and they set a time and place. Before they left Jacob approached Bella to say goodbye. She turned in Rose's lap and gave him a short hug and they said their goodbyes. Jacob asked if they could meet up sometime to play. Bella glanced up at Esme hopefully and Billy responded that Carlisle and he would discuss it the next day. Bella turned back around and clung again to Rose. Rose stood and cradled her gently while she and the rest of the family walked back to the parking lot.

Rose strapped Bella in the backseat and then crawled in next to her. When they all arrived home Bella looked toward Rose shyly. Rose smiled down and said softly, "how about you and Esme go up and get ready for bed." Bella looked a little hurt but then Rose continued, "Then I'll come up and read to you." Bella beamed and that and gave her another hug before reaching for Esme's hand.

Esme took her time helping Bella get ready for bed. She couldn't seem to let her go. She was so afraid that she had lost her. Bella seemed to need just as much comfort and clung to Esme just as tightly. When she finally finished getting her ready, she helped Bella curl up in bed next to Rose. She told her goodnight and kissed her forehead before the leaving the room. On the way down the stairs she heard Rose begin to read to her and she smiled.

Esme met the rest of the family in the living room and Carlisle spoke, "We need to discuss what happened tonight so it doesn't happen again. We should also discuss what needs to be done about the meeting with Billy Black."

Esme replied, "I agree, but we should wait for Rose."

The vampires waited in silence, all of them feeling responsible and terrible for what happened. When Rose returned a half hour later, Carlisle started again. "First off, I think we need to know what happened in the funhouse."

Rose responded before Esme, "She got frightened when she saw the clowns in the last room. She tried to go back out the way she came, but got lost in the room of mirrors. Jacob Black found her in that room and led her out to his father. They were just about to take her to the front desk when I arrived." She added as an afterthought, "I don't think Billy was happy to see me and seemed quite suspicious of my relation to Bella."

Carlisle nodded, "We need to do a better job when we go out with Bella. I know that she seems very mature but she is still just a five year old. As such she needs us to be looking out for her."

All of the vampires in the room agreed and hung their heads slightly in disappointment with themselves. Carlisle then turned to Alice, "Do you know why you couldn't see her?"

"I don't know, but I think it had something to do with Billy's son. When we arrived back at the funhouse I searched for Bella again and was able to see her but it was as if I was looking through a mist. Then when Billy's son got closer to her, she vanished from my vision all together."

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment, "It would appear as though our presence has caused the mutated gene to activate. Young Jacob will be a shifter."

Esme remembered when they first met the shifters almost a century ago. The members of the tribe would lead normal human lives unless they were exposed to vampires. If exposure happened, then when the child reached the age of adulthood, they would shift into wolf form. She felt a pang of sadness for causing this effect in the young boy. He seemed like such a sweet and caring child, she didn't want to disrupt his life by bringing in more complications.

Carlisle then turned to Edward, "Do you know what Billy wants to discuss tomorrow?"

Edward nodded, "He is concerned about how Bella is related to us. He wants to know what she knows and if we plan to turn her. He seemed to be surprised by how much we all cared for her. I think that is why he agreed to meet instead of simply calling the treaty void, even if we didn't actually break the treaty."

Carlisle continued to discuss the issue with Edward and the rest of the family dispersed. Esme pulled Rose aside and asked to speak with her.

"Thank you for taking care of Bella, Rose."

Rose looked thoughtful and the small smile graced her lips, "I have to admit Esme I feel so torn as to what happened tonight. I hate that we lost her and that we put her in a situation in which she became frightened." Her smile got slightly larger and she continued, "When I made it back to the front of the funhouse and saw her, she immediately threw herself into my arms. She was shaking and crying but I was able to comfort her." She looked as Esme with an almost pleading expression, "me, Esme. She needed…me."

Esme smiled at Rose but remained silent. She knew that Rose had more to say and didn't want to stop her when she was being so open. She had never seen Rose without some of her walls up. This was the most vulnerable she had ever been. Esme would never want Bella to ever be frightened or lost, but a small part of her was glad that it happened because of what it clearly did to Rose. Esme took Rose's hand and Rose continued.

"I cannot describe the feeling I felt when I was holding her in my arms. I wasn't even concerned about the shifters. All I could think was, 'she needs you.'" Rose paused again and then said even more quietly, "You were right you know. It is worth it." Esme scrunched her brow silently asking for Rose to explain further. She did, "Even though she is going to leave and break our hearts, it is worth it to be with her now. It is worth it to be her family, even if it is only for a little while." Rose looked up and smiled at Esme and accepted the woman's hug. They stayed like that for a brief moment before pulling away sharply at the sound of whimpering coming from Bella's room.

They both raced up the stairs and Esme went and cradled the small girl. Bella moved in her arms and mumbled, "Mommy help me. The clowns are coming." Esme's heart clenched, they girl needed her mother and she was half a world away. She gently pleaded with her to wake up. Bella opened her eyes and grasped on to Esme shaking.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you. Nothing is going to hurt you. It was just a bad dream." Esme continued to whisper words of reassurance until she was able to settle Bella down.

Rose brought up a warm glass of milk and gave it to Bella once she scooted slightly out of Esme's embrace. Bella placed it on the nightstand and hugged Rose tightly before pulling away and taking up the cup to sip. Rose kissed her forehead and spoke softly, "Do you want us to stay until you fall asleep again?"

Bella nodded and curled up into Esme's side. Esme lay down with her and she snuggled in closer. When Bella drifted back off to sleep, Esme didn't have the heart to leave her. She told Rose she was going to stay and Rose nodded her understanding and made to leave. Before she reached the door she spoke softly to Esme, "She was calling for you, you know."

"What do you mean?" Esme whispered back.

"When she called out for 'mommy'? She meant you." Rose stated as she softly closed the door.

Esme tried not to allow herself to hope for such a thing. Instead she pushed it from her mind and held the little girl close. She was trying to remind herself that this was not her little girl, but the line was getting very blurry.

a/n: Yay, Rose is in the fold. I just couldn't hold out any longer for that to happen.


	9. Chapter 9: Making Pizza and Conversation

A/N: Thanks again for your reviews, you are awesome! This chapter doesn't have a lot of Bella interactions but I felt a few things needed to be addressed. Hopefully you will like it all the same. Also fair warning, I have come to notice that I am apparently a cheesy sap. I didn't even know that until I read the end of this chapter. I hope it's not too fluffy for you, but what can I say, I like the fluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 9: Making Pizza and Conversation

A few weeks past after the carnival incident and Esme was spending the night reflecting on the comfortable routine that everyone seemed to have fallen into. During the day someone would be in charge of some sort of lesson for Bella and in the evenings the whole family participated in a game or activity. Sometimes they would simply sit around and tell stories, and other times they would play a game or watch a movie. Each member of the Cullen family had a dedicated time each week in which they spent time with Bella. Jasper would go for walks with Bella and talk about his time in the wars, being careful to exclude details he thought would be too frightening. Edward continued Bella's piano lessons. She proved to be quite skilled and seemed to advance quickly under his tutelage. Edward also enjoyed the time he spent with Bella as it was the only time his thoughts were truly his own. He enjoyed the peace her shielded mind brought to him.

Emmett planned game after game for Bella. Most of the time, the rest of the family would join in his games. Alice took Bella shopping. She argued that the best way to learn math was to be immersed in an environment that actually utilized the skill. Bella wasn't particularly fond of shopping but she liked Alice, so she graciously accompanied her without complaint. What Bella truly enjoyed was her continued visits to the hospital with Carlisle. She was fascinated about human behavior and wanted to learn as much as possible. Edward and Esme sometimes accompanied her and sometimes Bella went with just Carlisle. The attention Bella received lessened somewhat but she still found herself overwhelmed at times.

Rosalie and Bella's relationship grew stronger and stronger with each passing day. Bella would join Rosalie when she worked on cars and Rosalie would speak to her in French on occasion. Mostly, they just spent time together, without cause or preamble. Rosalie and Esme took to alternating bath time and reading such that if Rose got Bella ready for bed, Esme would read to her and vice versa. Alice refused to give up her place in the mornings for getting the 'princess', as she referred to her, ready for the day. Rose and Esme learned quickly that arguing with someone who could read the future, and would claim that she was the only one who could possibly _know_ what Bella would need, was not worth the effort.

The only relationship that rivaled Bella and Rose's was that of Bella and Esme. After the nightmare, Esme felt inextricably linked to the child in ways she could not comprehend. Bella, too, seemed to gravitate toward Esme. Bella's sleep was somewhat interrupted by dreams of scary clowns but Esme was there to sooth away the fear. Bella would sometimes call out when she was having her nightmare. She mostly called for 'mommy'. Esme's heart broke a little every time. She didn't believe Rose when she said that Bella was calling for her. Bella had never once referred to her with any sort of familial moniker. Even when they were out in public and Bella was supposed to refer to Esme as aunt, she had refrained. It hurt Esme when she didn't but she understood.

Esme still marveled at the changes she saw within her family. They were undeniably closer than they once had been. They were also happier. She treasured this time and the changes that had happened. As Esme was thinking about all of these things she was pulled from her reverie by Carlisle coming into their room.

"Love, I think we have put it off for long enough."

Esme sighed, "I know, I was just hoping that she would forget about it."

Carlisle gave her a sympathetic smile, "You know she doesn't forget anything; especially considering she is so curious by nature. She will be safe, Billy has promised."

Esme had hoped futilely that Bella would forget about her fascination with the Quileute tribe. But after she had met Jacob, all her hopes went out the window. After meeting with Billy and explaining the situation with Bella, Billy had agreed that the treaty was in fact still in place. He even agreed to allow Jacob and Bella to meet up to play together. Esme knew that it was good for Bella to associate with other children. She had insisted that she be the one to watch over the two of them and Billy hesitantly agreed. It was only fair that they extend the same trust to Billy and allow Bella to join them at the La Push beach. Esme knew all of these things, but it didn't stop her from fearing for Bella's safety. Her mind kept racing with all of the things that could happen to such a fragile human child.

"I trust Billy, I do." Esme said after a moment, "It's just, so many things could happen and I wouldn't be there to protect her. Plus we don't even know if Aro and Supilcia would agree to let her go."

"Why don't you try to call Supilcia this afternoon? We will first see if she and Aro are okay with their daughter spending time with the Quileute's, then we will go from there."

"I suppose you are right. I will call her after I return from my hunt."

Before Esme left to hunt she heard the familiar whimpering from Bella's room. She flashed down the hall and was immediately at the girl's side. Esme gently cradled the girl in her arms and cooed softly to try to get her to awaken. When Bella awoke she flung her arms around Esme's neck and exclaimed, "Mommy!"

Esme's heart leaped. 'She called me mommy!' Esme thought as she was filled with joy. But as soon as the thought entered her mind and filled her heart it was met with a heartbreaking realization that shattered her deeply. Bella didn't mean to call her mommy; she just mistook Esme for her mother. She understood that the child was so distraught that she didn't realize she was with Esme instead of her mother, Suplicia. While she understood, it didn't stop the pain that laced through her with that word. Esme had always wanted to be called 'mommy' but she wanted to be recognized as a mother, not mistaken for one. She pushed the pain aside along with the overwhelming desire to have this be her child and comforted the girl in her arms.

When Bella calmed, Esme pulled back and gently cupped Bella's cheek, "Was it the same dream as last time, sweetheart?"

Bella nodded sadly.

Esme knew that Bella wouldn't want to talk about her dream again. She hated the fact that the girl was still haunted by those stupid clowns. She wished she could do something to help her, she wished she wasn't so helpless. So Esme did the only thing she could; she brought her into another hug and rocked her gently. After a few minutes she asked her gently, "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

Bella nodded again and curled up into Esme's side. Esme stroked the child's hair until she fell asleep. Esme watched her sleep for a time before pulling out a book to read until Bella woke up. Alice came in at her usual time in the morning to wake Bella up. She hesitated and looked to Esme as though she wanted to say something, but then shook her head slightly and proceeded to wake Bella. Esme was confused as to what Alice could have wanted to say but brushed off her confusion and hugged Bella good morning and then made her way to the door to leave. Before she crossed the threshold Alice whispered so softly only a vampire could hear, "Your thoughts deceive you, Esme." When Esme turned around to question Alice, Alice was already rounding the corner to the bathroom.

Esme left more confused and slightly frustrated. A hunt and a long run would do her good. She needed to take some time to mull over things. Alice's parting comment hung in her thoughts like a shroud. No matter how much she tried to analyze the statement, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Part of her wanted to run back to the house and demand that Alice explain herself. The other part of her, the more rational part, knew that Alice clearly wanted to tell her what was going to happen but knew that she shouldn't.

After running for a few hours and trying to understand her thoughts, Esme decided to return to the house. She knew that Rose was going to be spending the day with Bella, but she didn't know what they were planning to do. When she entered the house she heard the most amazing sound. In chorus with the angelic giggle of little Bella was a bell like laughter that caressed the air delicately. When Esme noticed who the second sound was coming from her mouth almost opened in shock. Rosalie was laughing. It was then she realized; she had never heard Rosalie truly laugh. She took a moment to bask in the sound. Bella and Rose's laughter created a soothing balm that filled her heart until it almost burst. She felt the venom swirl in her eyes and she smiled at the sight before her.

After basking in the moment she actually started to take stock of her surroundings. Bella and Rose were working in the kitchen and it was a mess. Bella was covered in flour and something sticky and Rose also had a few smears of food decorated her perfectly sculpted face. She also noticed that Emmett was there as well, but he had managed to stay relatively clean. Then she saw the camera hanging from his next and instantly knew why he was not pulled into the mix. She was internally grateful for his obsession with the thing. Now she knew she would get to see this moment again and again.

Bella and Rosalie were pulled from their laughter and finally noticed Esme standing in the room. "Esme!" Bella called merrily, "we are making pizza. Do you want to come join us?" Esme shook her head and responded, "I think I am good over here, it seems safer."

Rosalie bent over a whispered something in Bella's ear and Bella looked toward Esme with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Why don't I like that look on your face?" Esme questioned.

Bella hopped from the chair she was standing on and started to make her way toward Esme.

"Where do you think you are going, young lady?" Esme knew she could easily get away if she wanted to, but didn't have the heart to thwart Bella's, well really Rose's, plans. So as Bella came within range of Esme, she leap into her arms and pulled her into a giant hug. The flour and sticky substance, which Esme had now identified as pizza sauce, that had previously adorned Bella was now decorating Esme as well. Esme playfully glared at her in mock outrage, "I can't believe you just did that!"

Bella just giggled and Rose's laughter joined in. Again, Esme reveled in the sound. Esme simply spun Bella around and kissed her on the forehead. Bella kissed her check in response and murmured, "I love you," before kissing her cheek again and scampering off to return to help Rose in the kitchen. Rose smiled at Esme genuinely and then returned her attention to Bella. Esme didn't know how long she stood rooted to her spot. She didn't think she could ever feel as great as she did in this moment. She closed her eyes and smiled before going to join the girls in the kitchen.

After Bella ate the pizza for lunch, Rose took her upstairs to get cleaned up and Esme left to get herself cleaned up as well. Once she had showered and changed into non-floured clothing she settled into the study and mentally prepared herself. She was going to be calling Supilcia. She was going to be calling the woman who was the mother of the child she desperately wanted to be her own. She took a deep, unnecessary breath, stilled her nerves and dialed the number.

She heard the phone ring a few times before a female voice with an Italian lilt answered on the other end. The soft accent was so similar to Bella's, Esme took another breath and began, "Suplicia, it is Esme Cullen."

"Is Isabella okay?!" Suplicia's voice was filled with panic and despair.

"Yes, she is just fine. I am sorry to scare you."

"Thank goodness. No need to apologize my dear, I am simply on edge lately."

"How are things going? Has the war begun?"

"The war has started and things are very much in our favor. We are experiencing a lull at the moment so your call is perfectly timed. May I inquire why you called? I also would not mind speaking to my daughter once we have finished."

"Of course, Suplicia. I know that Bella would love to speak to you as well. She treasures all of the time she gets to speak to you."

"Bella?" Suplicia questioned.

"Oh yes, my family has taken to calling Isabella, Bella. I hope this doesn't offend you." Esme didn't know why but she couldn't quite get comfortable talking this woman. Perhaps it was because she was essentially the queen of the vampires.

Suplicia laughed lightly, "Esme, my dear, please do not be so nervous with me. I was merely curious. Come, let us talk a bit more informally. I would like to think that we could be friends."

Esme took a moment to collect herself and her thoughts. She had to remind herself that this wasn't the ruthless queen she had heard stories about. She was the woman the raised the sweetest child she had ever met. "I would like that Suplicia." Esme pressed on, "I was calling to ask for your opinion, well really permission on a matter that has come up."

"Go on dear." Suplicia urged.

"Bella met a young boy named Jacob recently," Esme began and then recounted Bella's desires to visit the Quileute land. She also told Suplicia all of the information about the shifters and the treaty. "So you see, while Bella desperately wants to visit the beach, I don't know if she should as we cannot go with her. Furthermore, I didn't want to say she could go if you were not comfortable with the situation."

Suplicia took a moment to respond. She chuckled slightly and mused, "I still do not understand what Isabella's fascination seems to be with dogs."

Esme laughed at this and Suplicia continued with a sigh, "I see that Isabella has not changed in the slightest. Once something intrigues her, she has to find out everything about it. She gets this stubborn persistence from Aro. Imagine what I have to deal with when they both want to investigate something." Suplicia paused and then returned to the actual matter at hand, "Are you sure that none of the shifters are actually active?"

"For now, but it is only a matter of time until a new pack forms. I am afraid that our presence has triggered the gene."

"Can you see the beach from the treaty line?"

"Yes."

"I would be comfortable with Isabella going there on the condition that one of your family members watched over her. Also, the tribe should agree that if anything happens, that could potentially put Isabella in danger; you should be able to cross the boundary without the treaty being broken. I would not feel comfortable with her in that situation unless those stipulations are met."

"I will see to it that they are."

"Now let's talk of things that do not cause a mother worry. How is my little Isabella doing? Is she getting along with your family? I cannot thank you enough for keeping her safe."

"She is such a precious little girl and I believe she is happy here. It is me who should be thanking you, though. I don't how it happened, but she has changed us. Every single member of my family is happier and more at peace. I think she has a special relationship with each of us."

"Even young Rosalie?"

Esme chuckled, "Yes, even Rose; although she took longer than the rest of us. But now, I cannot explain it, her and Bella are extremely close. I actually heard Rose laugh today, for the first time. She is usually so guarded, but Bella broke down her walls."

"Ah, yes, that sounds very similar to Jane."

"I noticed the two were very close when we were there and Bella talks about Jane constantly. Will you tell me about it?" Esme couldn't seem to keep her curiosity at bay. She had always been intrigued by Bella and Jane's relationship, especially considering Jane's reputation.

"I would love to. You see when Jane was human she lived a horrid life. The people in her village accused her and her brother of being witches and they made their waking hours living nightmares. When the villagers allowed their fear of the unknown overwhelm then, they attempted to burn Jane and Alec at the stake. Fortunately we were able to get to them in time. Thus, from early on, Jane had a deep mistrust. Then add to this mistrust her gift. As you know, Jane's gift, while very useful, is most unpleasant. Most vampires fear her and refuse to get close to her. As such, she was always isolated. She never let anyone get close, lest they hurt her. I believe she had truly convinced herself that having others fear her was the only way. She lived this way for over a millennium.

Then we found our little Isabella. Try as she might, Jane could not help but love her. Even as an infant, Isabella had Jane wrapped around her finger. Jane had finally found someone who did not fear or loathe her. She cherishes Isabella. I cannot even begin to define their relationship. Jane is her sister, her best friend, her protector and sometimes even her mother. I do not even try to understand anymore. I am just thankful that both Jane and my daughter are happy."

Esme pondered the striking similarity to Rose before commenting, "Does it ever make you jealous? That they have something that you don't understand?"

Suplicia laughed, "No my dear, it does not." Then as if understanding why Esme would ask, she continued, "I have learned many things in the past millennia, so much so that I thought nothing would ever surprise me again. Isabella changed everything. You will soon learn that her heart seems to not have a limit to its capacity. She loves Jane dearly, but she loves me as well. I have never felt as though she wishes me to be different. Nor have I ever felt as though she loved someone more than me. She loves us equally. I know I am special to her."

"I think I understand," Esme said softly, "Even when she is clearly in her own world with Rose, she will still take the time to make me feel as though she loves me too."

"But there is more, is there not?"

Esme sighed; she couldn't believe she was actually going to have this conversation with this woman. But something in her told her to be honest. "I have felt jealous of you. I know it is silly and foolish, and I feel so terrible. I know that you are an amazing mother. You have to be for raising such an amazing child. And yet, I feel jealous."

"Esme, do not think poorly of yourself. I understand. Please do not feel as though you are diminishing my relationship with my daughter just because you want one with her yourself. Again, her heart is big enough for us both. May I ask if anything specific happened? Or do you just feel jealous in general?"

Esme was curious as to why Suplicia would ask. She got the feeling as though Suplicia knew something and was just trying to get her to talk about it. Esme realized it didn't really matter either way so she proceeded to tell her about the incident at the carnival, feeling terrible for failing to inform Suplicia of the matter, while following up with the instance of the dream and Bella calling out for Suplicia.

Suplicia answered after a moment, "Esme, first of all, do not feel bad for the incident at the carnival. A similar thing happened to Aro and me not too long ago. Well it was really Dora's fault, if she had not gotten Isabella that blasted dog." She trailed off, before quickly returning to the subject, "Sorry, my dear, Isabella ran off after the dog once. She somehow managed to chase after him and followed him off the grounds. It was a terrifying day. Those things happen. They are awful and we do our best to prevent them. It does not make you less because it happened. Please do not fear our retribution either. There is nothing to forgive, Isabella is safe with you."

"Thank you, Suplicia."

"No need dear, now tell me more about these dreams of Isabella's."

Esme explained the content of the dreams and then said, "She calls out for you to help her. She woke up this morning and mistook me for you. She called me mommy before she realized that it was just me," Esme finished sadly, feeling the sting of the moment anew.

Suplicia responded with unexpected excitement, "My dear, you are fretting over nothing! Aro told me this was coming of course, I mean him and Alice planned for everything. I just did not know the timing. I do not understand why you are jealous, if anything you should be concerned for me. I am not, of course, I mean what I said earlier."

Esme was completely baffled, "I am sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Did Alice not tell you?"

"No, would you please tell me what you are talking about?"

"My my, that girl is quite the sprite. Esme, dear, Isabella does not call me 'mommy'. In fact, I do not think she was even aware of the term. It must be something she picked up in those states of yours." Suplicia paused and then spoke plainly, "Isabella calls me Mama, and she has never once deviated from that term with me. If she used the term 'mommy' she was referring to you."

"Surely, you do not mean," Esme trailed off.

"Yes, I mean that my daughter has claimed you as her mother as well."

Esme couldn't contain her joy anymore, she practically squealed in delight. She couldn't stop the smile that graced her face. She was sure that if she was human her cheeks would be hurting from the strain. She quickly regained herself, "I am sorry, Suplicia, I did not mean any disrespect."

Before she could continue, Suplicia cut her off, "I will not hear any more of this. I do not feel jealous of you or begrudge you a relationship with Isabella. I am overjoyed for both you and her. Trust me, when I heard from Aro that Isabella was going to look to you as another mother, I could not have been happier. She could not have chosen a better person."

"So you knew the whole time, even before we left?"

"Of course, my dear. That Alice of yours was very thorough in her vision. Oh yes, and please do tell Emmett that I appreciate all he is doing to capture my baby's memories for me. I cannot wait to see what has been described."

Esme was floored. She could not believe how gracious this woman was being, but at the same time she realized that if their roles were reversed, she would feel the same way. Suplicia was right; Bella's heart was big enough for them all. She pulled herself and chuckled at her own sentimentality, "I am guessing that you, like Alice, will not tell me any more of what she has seen?"

"If Alice has seen fit not to tell you, than I best keep what I know from you as well as I would not want to ruin what I have come to hope for."

Esme smiled despite her continued confusion, "Thank you, thank you so much."

"You are most welcome. Now I still have some time before I am needed again. Would Isabella be available?"

"I'll go get her," Esme said with a smile and left to go find her little girl. When Bella entered the study she rushed to the phone and before she even had the phone pressed to her ear she exclaimed, "Mama!"

Esme smiled at the girl and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. As she walked to the living room she was met by Emmett who was wearing a large grin with his hands behind his back. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged and pulled a present from behind his back to hand to her.

"What's this for?"

"Just because."

She opened the box and found a beautifully crafted matted frame. Within the frame held a picture of her and Bella. It was from earlier that afternoon, she and Bella were covered in flour and Bella was kissing Esme's cheek. Noting the look on her own face she realized this was the moment Bella had told her she loved her. "Emmett, how?" She choked out unable to continue her thought for the emotion clouding her voice.

He shrugged, "I've had the frames made for a while. I made one for each of us. I have just been waiting for the perfect pictures to fill them with. I thought this should be yours."

"Thank you, Emmett. It is perfect." Esme pulled him into a tight hug.

Emmett unable to take the seriousness of the moment chuckled and stated, "Yea, now you actually appreciate my creepy stalker photographer skills." His lips twisted into a crooked grin and he continued, "So tonight, we are playing video games!"

a/n: well my friends we are getting close to the end. I have just a couple more chapters to go before we learn about what is going to happen after the war. I hope you are still enjoying!


	10. Chapter 10: The Beach

A/N: I was so nervous that you guys weren't going to like the last chapter. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 10: The Beach

The day after her conversation with Suplicia, Esme contacted Billy Black to talk about Bella coming to visit the reservation. He agreed to the stipulations laid out and reassured Esme that no harm would come to Bella. He also surprised Esme when he asked if he could speak openly with her.

"Mrs. Cullen, Esme," He stated, "I come from a long line of shifters. It is in my blood to fear and hate your kind. Yet, I allowed my own flesh and blood to be in your care. I trusted you." He paused a moment as if composing himself, "I never thought that I would be anywhere near your kind, but you are different. It is not just the fact that you drink from animals. When I see you with that little girl, it makes me challenge everything I thought I knew."

"Billy," Esme began also using his familiar name as a sign of friendship, "Thank you for your kind words. The truth is that Bella changed us. We are more human because of her. I too am starting to challenge things I once thought were true."

"I don't mean to pry, but I don't know what you mean."

Esme didn't mean to unload that on Billy so she quickly pulled herself from her thoughts and spoke, "I'm sorry, Billy, I was just rambling off. So, when would be a good time to bring little Bella to the treaty line. She is most anxious to see Jacob again. She hasn't stopped talking about getting to go to the beach since she last saw him."

Billy laughed heartily, "Jacob has been much the same. Will two work for you?"

Esme considered it for a moment, and then realized the time was perfect as it would allow Bella to eat lunch and get a small nap before leaving, "That will be just fine, Billy. We will see you then."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Esme left the study and made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast for Bella. She was intercepted by Alice, "Actually Esme, you should wait a little bit, Bella will want to help."

Esme nodded. She should have guessed as much. Over the past few weeks Bella was quite taken with helping whenever the vampires were making her meals. Usually she was an attentive and clean helper. But after yesterday, Esme wondered if Bella would be more mischievous in the kitchen. Edward interrupted Esme's thoughts, "Actually, Esme, that was all Rose's doing. It was actually pretty entertaining."

Esme pondered that information. She knew that Rose had been changed the most since Bella had come into their lives but she didn't expect her to revert back to childish food fights. A smile graced her face and she looked back at Edward, "Good for her. I'm just sorry I missed it." Edward smiled in response, "Me too, at least I got to see the replay in her thoughts later." Esme chuckled. She found herself wishing she could have Edward's gift more and more lately so she could watch moments like the ones she missed. She had never wanted his gift before as she knew the constant din made it difficult for him, but now she thought the din may be an acceptable price to pay.

Edward nodded his understanding and then left the living room and proceeded to go work on his new piece. Alice and Bella came down stair a short while later. They were chatting happily together. Bella's eyes lit up when she saw Esme. "Esme!" She exclaimed and she flung herself into her arms for a hug. It never failed, every time Bella saw Esme after even a brief time apart, she responded in this way. It also never failed to make Esme feel beyond happy. She spun the girl around and placed a kiss on her forehead before speaking, "Good morning, sweetheart. Would you like to help me make pancakes for breakfast?"

Bella nodded and kissed Esme's cheek. Then Esme carried her to the kitchen and they began breakfast preparations.

"Can we make one big pancake?" Bella looked up at Esme with her big brown eyes, silently pleading.

Esme smiled, "Of course, sweetie." She leant down and placed a kiss on Bella's head and stroked her cheek affectionately. "Let's get started, do you want to crack the eggs?"

They continued to make the batter and Esme helped Bella flip the pancake, taking care to keep her small hands protected from potential burns. Esme quickly cut some strawberries to place on the top and poured her a glass of milk and then sat across from Bella at the table.

"Esme," Bella looked up from her eating and looked at Esme thoughtfully, "May I ask you something?"

"Anything, sweetie."

"Does blood taste as good as pancakes?"

Esme sputtered, unable to even begin to think about what she was just asked. She was well aware the Bella knew what their lives, and more importantly their diets, consisted of. She was just surprised to hear the question voiced so honestly. Then Esme's own curiosity burned as well and she countered with another question, "Why do you ask, sweetheart?"

"I just want to know if I will miss that taste. That is all." Bella shrugged her shoulders; completely unaware of the havoc she was wrecking is Esme's heart.

"You want to be a vampire?" Esme was barely able to whisper out. She had been struggling with this issue for weeks and she was still no closer to knowing how she truly felt about the situation. She knew she would have to deal with it eventually, but she thought she would have years to come to terms with it one way or another. And now Bella had literally dropped the issue on her without warning.

Bella looked at her curiously, "Of course," she said simply as though there was no need for further discussion. "You did not answer by question," she reminded Esme, "Does blood taste as good as pancakes?"

Esme didn't know what to do so she answered the question honestly, "It does."

"That is good to know," Bella responded, still unaware of the turmoil she was putting Esme through, "I would be very sad if I could not have this taste."

Esme regained a bit of herself and questioned Bella, "Bella, sweetie, can you answer a few questions for me?" Esme hedged gently. She didn't want Bella to think that she was upset with the child, but she desperately wanted to question her.

"Sure," Bella nodded and scooped another piece of pancake in her mouth.

"Can you tell me how you know you are going to be a vampire? Did your parents tell you that?"

Bella swallowed the piece in her mouth before responding, "No," simply.

Esme was frustrated with her inability to get the information she wanted without pressing too hard. She tried again, "Do you want this?"

Bella seemed to understand that Esme was struggling to reconcile something. She pushed her plate away slightly and looked at Esme closely. Then she responded after a breath, "I want this. I want my family forever."

"You are very young, sweetheart. There are some things you don't quite understand."

Bella looked at her thoughtfully, a maturity far beyond her years shining from her eyes, "But I will understand them when I am older. I do not think it will change my desire. I want to spend eternity with my parents, with my aunts and uncles, with Jane, with you, Rose and everyone. Human minds," she struggled to find the right word in English and scrunched her nose when she failed to find it, "human minds do not last long. They lose memories as they age. That would be very sad for me." She looked up at Esme with sad eyes, "I do not want to forget you."

Esme rushed to her side, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you." She pulled her into a hug and cradled her gently. "We don't need to talk about this now, okay. How about we do some reading before we get you ready for the beach?"

Bella's eyes lit up at the mention of the beach, but then scrunched again as if she was unsure of something else, "Do you want me to forget you?" Bella said, obviously not going to be swayed from this conversation.

"Oh, honey, I would never want that." She pulled the child close to her again and whispered in her ear, "I love you so much, Bella."

Bella squeezed her back and she said, "I love you too…" She seemed to hesitate at the end as if unsure of herself. She pulled back and looked at Esme closely. Then she spoke again, "Am I your," she paused and then decided to say something else, "Sometimes I feel like I should call," she hesitated again. She started to become visibly upset. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes mustering her courage and spoke softly, "Are you my mommy? My other mother, I mean?" As if the courage she had just built up suddenly fled her, she slouched in Esme's arms, unable to look at her.

Esme was torn between wanting to celebrate and wanting to comfort the distraught child in her arms. She squeezed her gently and cupped her chin so she could look her in the eyes as she spoke, "I think of you very much as a daughter, Isabella. I love you very much."

Bella smiled slightly in relief. "So I can call you 'mommy' sometimes? I noticed when we were at the carnival and at the hospital that human children called their caregivers mommy. Something about the term felt right when I thought of you."

"Do you want to?" Esme couldn't help but beam.

"Yes, sometimes when I call you Esme it does not feel right. Is that okay?"

"I would like that very much, sweetheart."

Bella beamed back at her. "Great! Mama said you would not mind. I wanted to check with you first though. She also said that she hoped I was not picking up too much 'American slang,'" Bella said with a sly grin.

Esme chuckled at the last statement. She was startled at the thoughtfulness and maturity of this child. Bella had not only discussed this issue with herself but also her mother, well her other mother. Esme grinned at that thought. She also appreciated the reminder that Suplicia was okay with this development and encouraged their relationship. She gave Bella another hug and asked if she wanted to go read.

Esme and Bella spent the rest of the morning reading together before Rose brought Bella some lunch. When she finished eating Esme coaxed her into talking a short nap. Esme didn't have the heart to leave Bella after their conversation and so she stayed by her side while she napped. She stroked her hair and could not believe her fortune. This little girl wanted to be hers. It made her wonder if they were really monsters. This thought brought about a whole new round of thinking. She recalled Bella's earlier admission that she wanted to be a vampire.

Could she really condemn Bella to this life? Was this life really a condemnation? She felt selfish wishing that she could keep Bella with them forever. She couldn't deny that the thought of Bella becoming immortal was something she hoped for, especially now that Esme felt she had a claim on her as her mother. But she just didn't know if it was something she should be hoping for. She continued to vacillate back and forth neither coming to a solution nor feeling comfortable with her ambivalence. So she pushed her thoughts aside and watched the sleeping child. She watched her chest rise and fall and allowed that focus to calm her thoughts and fill her with peace. For now, Bella was human. For now, Bella was a child and she needed Esme. That is all she should be thinking about. Esme knew that the issue would continue to plague her, but in this moment she did not allow it another thought.

When it was getting close to the time to leave; she gently roused Bella from sleep. Bella woke quickly and said, "The beach! Come on let's go!" She grabbed her hand and practically raced down the stairs.

Rose accompanied Bella and Esme to the treaty line where Billy and Jacob were waiting.

"Don't worry, Esme," Billy said, "We will take good care of her. We will see you back here in a few hours."

Bella hugged Esme and Rose and then leapt to follow Billy and Jacob to the beach. Rose and Esme climbed a neighboring tree and settled themselves to watch over the little girl. They watched on as she played and laughed in the water with Jacob. Esme fell back into her earlier thoughts and decided to ask Rose about the issue, "Bella told me she was going to be a vampire this morning."

Rose seemed to take a moment to collect her thoughts, "Are you surprised? She is being raised by vampires. Look at the way she composes herself, she is already more vampire than human," she said matter-of-factly.

Esme was shocked by this statement. Out of her entire family, Rosalie was the most opposed to their existence. "I am surprised that you are not opposed to this," Esme said, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"It's more complicated than that." Rose let her gaze fall to Bella playing on the beach and then she continued, "When I see her down there I can't help but think that she could grow up, marry, have children and grandchildren." She scoffed lightly and then looked to Esme and said, "I wouldn't even care if she fell in love with that mutt down there," she jerked her chin toward Jacob. Then she looked at Esme seriously, "But I will not force my choices on her nor will I oppose her decisions. If she wants this life," she said and gestured between the two of them, "then she will have my support. Besides, I really like the idea of her getting forever with us."

Esme looked down and then voiced her biggest concern, "Don't you worry that our nature will corrupt her? I do not think I could bear to condemn her to this life."

"Do you truly believe that Esme? Think about what you are saying. Do you really think that we are monsters? Look at us. She loves us. Would a child that sweet and innocent love a monster? Better yet, look at the Volturi. Look at how much they have changed. Do you think monsters would change to accommodate a human child? Think of Suplicia, the ruthless queen; Aro, the manipulative king; and Jane, who thrives on pain; did they meet your expectations? Do you think they are monsters? I don't, not anymore." Rose spoke to Esme fiercely, as if she was willing her to understand.

"They still kill humans, Rose. We still kill; we have to in order to survive." That was what it all came back to for Esme. Every time this issue arouse she remembered the look on Bella's face when they first met. The fear she saw in her eyes when she learned that they killed animals to survive. That was the face that haunted her. It was the face that did not allow her to fully be okay with the thought of that innocent child joining them in this life.

Rose nodded sadly but didn't respond. What could she say? They both went back to watching Bella play. She and Jacob were building a sand castle trying to race against the tide to get it built before the ocean reclaimed it. Esme felt the need to release some of the tension so she smirked and looked at Rose, "So you really mean that you would be okay with her being with a dog?" She chuckled when Rosalie shot her a glare.

"What? If he made her happy, I could get used to the smell." She looked away haughtily.

"Wow, Rosalie, I think you are losing your edge." Esme reached over and playfully shoved her arm. She enjoyed this side of Rose and they continued their banter back and forth while watching Bella lovingly.

After some time had passed Rose perked up and said, "It looks like they are getting ready to leave." They both jumped down from the tree and raced to the treaty line. When Billy, Jacob, and Bella came into sight, Bella ran toward them, "Esme! Rose!" She hugged them both in greeting. Esme then turned to the girl in her arms, "Are you ready to go?"

"Just one moment." She hopped down and hugged both Billy and Jacob before thanking them for the afternoon. Esme nodded her thanks to Billy while Rosalie took Bella's hand and they made their way to the car. When they got in the car, Esme could tell the girl was bursting at the seams in a desire to tell them both what she had learned. She smiled and asked, "So, tell us all about your afternoon, sweetheart."

Bella's eyes lit up and she launched into a narrative of what the afternoon was comprised of. As they were pulling into the driveway she finished by saying, "I cannot wait until I can tell Jasper all about the tribe. Do you think we can go on a walk later?"

"I'm sure he would like that. How about we all go? We can walk up to the waterfall together. But first, maybe we should get you into the bath." Esme couldn't help it; the smell of wet dog, while faint because Jacob hadn't actually shifted yet, was present.

Rosalie chuckled at her tactics and mock whispered conspiratorially to Bella, "I bet if you ask nicely, Esme will let you take a bubble bath."

Bella's eyes sparkled and she looked to Esme, "Please."

"Alright you little nymph, you know I can't say no when you give me those big eyes of yours."

"Thanks, mommy." Esme beamed and hugged Bella tightly. At this moment she couldn't care less about the smell. She raced her up the stairs while still holding her tight and drew a bath, with lots of bubbles.

As promised, the whole Cullen family walked to the waterfall together. Bella walked while holding Jasper and Alice's hand while telling Jasper all about the tribe and what she had learned. Jasper was an attentive listener and asked follow up questions here and there while supplying additional commentary about other historical aspects that he thought Bella would enjoy. The rest of the family enjoyed listening in to the conversation between the two but refrained from interrupting.

When they got to the clearing with the waterfall, Bella ate the light dinner that Rose had packed for her while Bella was taking a bath. Emmett burst in as soon as she finished, "We should play a game! What do you think Bella?"

a/n: I have the rest of the story mapped out; there will be two more chapters and an epilogue. I am hoping to be finished by the end of this week. We shall see.


	11. Chapter 11: Family Vacation

A/N: You guys are awesome! Just an aside, I wanted to write Rose differently in the last chapter because I wanted to reflect that Bella has changed her, hopefully it wasn't too unbelievable.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 11: Family Vacation

A few months passed and the family was still stronger than ever. Esme had taken to having weekly chats with Suplicia. The desire to become friends, as Suplicia had indicated during their first conversation, was coming to fruition. At first the women talked about Bella, but then their conversations shifted and they talked about anything and everything. Esme found herself cherishing the newly developed friendship with the Volturi queen and looking forward to their conversations together.

As Esme reflected on her new friendship with the queen, she also reflected on her relationship with Bella. Over the past few months they had gotten closer and closer. She truly felt as though Bella was her daughter and that she had spent more than a mere five months with her. She also noticed that Bella was beginning to pick up some of their mannerisms and her accent was slightly less prominent than when she had arrived. She marveled at the thought that some of her upbringing was being influenced and directed by her family. She hoped that Bella would look back on her time with them with fondness and she desperately hoped that she would carry them in her heart when she left.

Esme had taken to looking at the pictures Emmett was amassing in the mornings while she waited for Bella to wake. She noticed that as time had passed so had the happiness grown on the faces of each of her family members. She noticed that Edward, in the earlier photos would only be seen smiling in a couple of the photos, now, it seemed as though the smile never left his face. His music also took on a happier air. Instead of being filled with dark and heavy tones in minor keys it was fuller, richer and brighter. She also noticed a drastic change in Emmett. Yes he was always ecstatic when Bella was around, but Bella actually seemed to mature him somewhat. He seemed to want to protect her more and on more than one occasion he was the one who would sooth her worries and stress.

Esme was smiling as she started to think about the other changes she had seen. But before she could reflect more she was pulled from her thoughts by Alice calling for her from Bella's room. Alice had gone to wake up Bella as she normally did every morning. Her smile immediately dropped. Esme rushed up the stairs and was by Bella's side in a second. What she saw lying in the bed broke her heart. Bella's face was pale and her hair was damp and plastered to her forehead. Esme knelt down and placed her cool hand on her forehead. Bella was burning up.

"Go call Carlisle, tell him to come home." Esme instructed Alice.

Esme bent down and cooed softly to the child, "Oh baby, I'm so sorry." She continued to stroke the hair away from her face while she waited.

Alice quickly called Carlisle and he arrived home a few minutes later. He entered Bella's room with concern etched on his face. While his relationship was not as close as Bella's and his wife's, he still loved the little girl deeply and hated seeing her in pain. He quickly performed a checkup and left to run to the pharmacy. Before leaving he instructed Alice to get Bella something to drink to keep her hydrated.

After Carlisle left, Bella looked up at Esme, "I don't feel good, mommy." Esme's heart broke at the sight of her distressed child. "I know baby. Carlisle went to go get you something to make you feel better. He will be back soon." Bella nodded her head and moved to cuddle up with Esme. Esme was surprised that Bella would want to snuggle into her when she was already suffering from chills, but apparently Bella needed the comfort more.

Esme continued to comfort Bella until Carlisle returned and administered the meds. The child fell asleep shortly thereafter and Carlisle spoke softly to Esme, "It is just a cold Esme, she will be okay. We just need to keep her hydrated and well rested." Esme appreciated his comfort but wanted to voice her apprehension in hopes that he could comfort those as well, "I just feel so helpless. I just wish I could take away her pain."

Carlisle looked to her sympathetically, "So do I, love. I'm going to go make her some soup. You should stay here in case she wakes up and needs anything." Esme knew that they would hear Bella if she woke up and would be able to reach her before she even called out, but she realized that Carlisle asked her to stay for Esme's own sake. He knew that she couldn't bear to leave her child's side.

And Esme didn't leave Bella's side until she was fully healed. When Bella was awake she would read to her or they would play a game together in her bed. When Bella was asleep she would hold her and hum softly. The rest of the family took turns visiting with Bella until she recovered. Obviously Rose was the most frequent visitor; she would often join in with Bella and Esme to play a game.

The mood in the house while Bella was sick was somber for the first time since she arrived. In truth, most of the vampires were beside themselves with concern despite Carlisle's reassurances that the girl would be fine. Most couldn't remember being sick during their human lives and therefore didn't understand that humans got colds occasionally and got over them easily. Her sickness also served as a reminder that Bella was so fragile, and this fact scared them deeply. When Alice announced that Bella would be completely better soon and mood lifted considerably.

In celebration of her recovery, the family had another movie night. It was the first time in the week since Bella had been ill that the whole family had gathered together. The entire family seemed to be refilled with contentment as their lives fell into place once again. None of the vampires wanted to consider what would happen when Bella left to return home. In preparation all of the Cullens, sans Rose and Esme, made cookies and treats for Bella when she came down. When Bella arrived she was overwhelmed with the selection and she didn't even know where to begin. Alice aided her decision and scooped her up to sit next to her, "You want to start with the chocolate chip." Bella smiled and dug in, Alice was right, she loved the chocolate chip.

About half way through the movie, Alice grabbed the remote and hit pause. She waited a brief moment and said seriously, "I have an announcement." She waited until all eyes turned toward her and then she continued. "We are going on a family vacation." She then un-paused the movie and looked back to the screen. The rest of the family remained staring at Alice. Rose, took the remote from Alice's hand and pressed pause again. "Okay Alice, we all applaud your theatrics. Now would you be so kind and fill us in on what you are talking about?" Rosalie said with a huff.

"Don't you want to finish the movie?" Alice asked innocently. While her tone was innocent, none of the family actually believed that she was. Bella, instead of playing into Alice's plot, decided to return the favor.

"You are right, Alice. We should finish the movie first. We can wait, right?" She looked to Rosalie who noticed her game straight away. Rosalie gave her a quick grin and then started the movie with a smirk. Bella gave her a sly smile and pretended to turn her attention back to the movie.

Alice began to ruffle. It wasn't common for her to be had and she wasn't dealing well with the feeling. The rest of the vampires were doing their best to hold in their laughter. They kept looking from Bella to Alice to Rose waiting to see who was going to break first. They didn't have to wait long.

"Alright, you got me!" Alice raced up and paused the movie again.

The rest of the room broke out into the laughter they had been holding. Emmett managed to speak through his, "Hah, Alice, now you know how it feels!"

Alice crossed her arms in a huff, but then chuckled along with the rest of them good naturedly. She then ruffled Bella's hair and Bella looked up and gave her a grin.

Esme spoke next, "Okay, tell us dear. What is this vacation we will we be going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Alice questioned, "Bella here," she looked down and winked at Bella, "is in the states for the first time. Don't you think we should show her the most magical place on earth?" She finished her question and looked around as though she had just said the most obvious thing.

Bella looked to Alice in confusion. Then Emmett's eyes lit up, "I know!" He clapped his hands loudly together and looked at Bella, "You are going to love it!"

Bella looked to Rose and gave her a questioning look. Rose placed her arm around her and pulled her close, "I believe Alice is referring to a place called Disneyland."

Bella's eyes widened, "I have heard about that! Really, are we going there?" She first looked to Alice, but then quickly sent a questioning glance toward Carlisle and Esme.

Carlisle, instead of answering Bella, spoke to Alice next, "Alice I am assuming that you have been careful to check the weather. From what I know of California, it is usually sunny."

"Of course, Carlisle. I know for a fact that it will be unseasonable overcast the two weeks we will be there."

Carlisle then looked to Bella and smiled, "Yes, we can definitely go." Bella grinned excitedly and Rose hugged her a bit tighter as though wanted to share in her excitement.

"When do we leave?!" Emmett asked excitedly.

"A week from tomorrow." Alice responded simply.

The family continued to discuss what all they would be doing during their vacation. Alice discussed all the places they would be visiting and what preparation needed to be completed before they left. The movie lay forgotten.

For the next week the family set out to pack and make plans. The night before they were set to catch their flight Bella was having difficulty sleeping. Esme had tried everything, but the child was simply too excited to calm down. Finally, she called in Rose. Esme had continued to notice that Rose and Bella had something that she couldn't comprehend. They seemed to be able to communicate on a level that just didn't reach Esme. She felt happy for Rose. It was as if Bella was healing Rose from wounds that she didn't even know she had.

The next morning in a flurry of excitement the Cullens and Bella made their way to the airport. Bella was riding in the car with Carlisle, Esme and Edward. Carlisle looked in his rearview mirror at Bella and smiled at the excitement that seemed to be radiating from her. He spoke through his chuckle, "Bella, just a reminder, you should refer to us as Aunt and Uncle the whole time we are on vacation." Bella looked down for a bit and then looked up and met his eyes in the mirror and gave a small nod.

Carlisle was stricken, in a matter of seconds Bella had gone from bursting with excitement to being dejected and morose. He didn't know what caused the change, but felt terrible for the fact that he was clearly responsible for her sudden sorrow. He wished Edward could read her mind so that he could know how to fix his mistake. Esme, unable to stand the sight of her little girl filled with heartache turned gently in her seat and reached out to touch her knee in reassurance. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Is everything all right?"

Bella didn't raise her eyes to meet Esme's. Instead she kept her head hung and nodded.

"Please, sweetheart, look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

Bella looked up slowly and her sad brown eyes met Esme's. She blinked and bit her lip softly, a trait Esme noticed that she picked up from Rose, but she still remained silent.

Esme sent a pleading look toward Edward. When he gave a hesitant shrug admitting he didn't know what was wrong, Esme turned back to Bella. She thought back over the brief conversation and then it struck her. She felt so foolish that she didn't recognize it immediately. Bella, in all of their public outings, which were rather few and far between, had managed to avoid referring to Esme by a title. She seemed to actually go out of her way to avoid having to refer to Esme. At home, Bella mostly called Esme by her name, but occasionally she would call her mommy. Esme felt terrible, it was bad enough that Bella had to carry around this giant secret, but she also had to pretend to have false relationships just to maintain appearances. That was a large burden to ask of a five year old.

She looked to Bella and tried to convey her understanding, "Bella, sweetheart, can you please talk to me about this?"

Bella looked sheepish and said, "I am tired of the lies."

"I know, sweetie, we are asking you to keep a huge secret about what we are and who we are to you. We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I want to go," Bella said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You can just call us Carlisle and Esme if you like," Esme said, willing to try anything to make the child feel better.

"But you cannot be my mother, even though I think of you as such."

Esme's eyes misted over. She desperately wished she was in the backseat so she could hold her little girl. She tried to convey her embrace simply by her tone, knowing it wouldn't be enough, but she tried all the same, "Bella, my darling, I am your mother and nothing will change that. I would love for you to call me mommy all the time. I just did not want you to feel like you had to because of this trip. I love you and no matter what you call me I will always be your mother."

A single tear fell down Bella's cheek, "Then can I call Carlisle 'daddy' too?"

Esme could feel the joy that radiated off of Carlisle in that moment. She knew that he would never begrudge Esme of her relationship with Bella, but she also knew that there was a part of him that desperately wanted this child to claim him as well. He looked at her through the mirror again and said, "I would be honored, Bella."

Bella beamed. The previous morose atmosphere of the car was lifted and the excitement for the trip filled the space. When they pulled into the long-term parking Bella was immediately embraced by Esme and Carlisle. Alice flitted over after she got out of the other car and placed an envelope in Carlisle's hand.

"I had this made for the trip; I thought it would make things a bit easier."

Carlisle opened the envelope and found a new identification card for Bella. Her name read, 'Isabella Cullen'.

He looked to Alice, "You knew!?" He asked incredulously.

Esme looked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at and gave Alice a radiating grin. Then she patted Carlisle on the arm and said, "Welcome to my world, she has been doing this to me for months!"

Alice simply laughed them off and took Bella from Esme's arms. "Come on, little sister, we should hurry to get inside so we can find some snacks for the plane." And without a parting glance she took off toward the terminal leaving the rest of the family to follow behind.

The flight started smoothly but quickly took a turn for the worse when Bella needed to get up to use the restroom. Esme was able to walk her up without incident, but on the short return to their seats, the plane had a minor bout of turbulence and it knocked Bella off balance. She fell from Esme's grasp and cut her arm on the neighboring chair. The seven vampires on the plane immediately went into panic. Bella was bleeding. They all held their breath and then another panic set in, Bella was hurt. They all tried to huddle around her to make sure she was alright, but struggled with the limited space the plane provided.

Bella looked up at Esme with tears swimming in her eyes. Esme didn't hesitate; she knew she would never hurt her child. So she deliberately took a breath and picked her up. Then she noticed she couldn't smell Bella's blood. Even though her blood was soaking her through her shirt she couldn't smell a thing. Esme didn't take any more time to think about this revelation; she flagged down the flight attendant and asked for a first aid kit. When the flight attendant arrived, she handed the kit to Carlisle but stayed in the vicinity. Carlisle bandaged up Bella's arm quickly while Esme held Bella rubbing soothing circles in her back.

"All finished, sweetheart." Carlisle said while placing a kiss on her newly bandaged arm. "You're as good as new."

Bella smiled at Carlisle and then retreated further into Esme's arms. The flight attendant took the first aid kit from Carlisle and spoke softly to him and Esme, "You have such a beautiful family." Esme and Carlisle smiled at her while Carlisle responded, "Thank you."

The rest of the plane trip was uneventful and they managed to get both rental cars to the hotel without incident. They relieved themselves of their luggage and then set out to explore the park. Bella was enraptured by the place. She didn't seem to even want to blink for fear of missing something. But, as Bella was human, she tired. Carlisle noticed that she was moving slower than before so he swooped in and picked her up to carry her for the rest of the way. She looked at him with eyes that were already beginning to droop and mumbled, "thanks, daddy." Before closing her eyes completely and resting her head on his shoulder.

Carlisle was overjoyed and a smile split his face and he continued to grin for the rest of the walk. Esme leaned over and smiled at him, "Feels amazing doesn't it?" Carlisle didn't respond verbally, he just nodded and continued to grin.

The first week of their vacation they spent at the various Disney parks. The second week they ventured out of the area. First they visited the aquarium in which Bella decided that she did not like sharks; in fact they were fighting the clowns for the top spot on things she feared. The Cullens tried to assure her that the sharks could not leave their tank, but it did little to quell Bella's fear. Rose, when seeing that her family's attempts to pacify the girl were failing simply knelt down to Bella and said, "My teeth are much sharper than a shark's. I am also faster and stronger. There is no way that shark can take me," Rose finished smugly.

To the surprise of all of the Cullen's Rose's statement worked. Bella went directly over to the tank and peered in at the shark. She looked back to Rose and smiled, "You are right, he isn't so scary." Rose held out her hand and Bella took it and the left the area to go to the next. Esme smiled fondly at the pair. She took Carlisle's hand and led him out to follow them.

The day after the aquarium they were going to go to the zoo to spend a few days there. Bella was initially very concerned, mostly for the sake of the animals. It took all of the Cullens promising not to snack on any of the wildlife before Bella would agree to go to the park. Most of the family was quite amused by Bella's insistence, so they quickly made her their promise and thought nothing more on the subject. Esme, however, pulled Bella aside and spoke to her softly.

"Sweetheart, you know that we would never hurt anyone or anything unless we absolutely had to? We don't kill just to kill?" Esme almost pleaded with Bella to understand.

Bella looked at her for a moment, "But you do kill animals?" She asked softly.

"Yes, but only because we have to."

"Mama and Papa do not kill." Bella expressed cocking her head to the side as though she was curious as to the differences between both sets of parents. Her voice didn't contain any judgment or fear, however.

Esme did not have the heart to tell Bella that her parents not only killed, but they killed humans. She didn't think the five year old could understand. She did however voice the concern that had been plaguing her since she met the young girl, "Do you think of me as a monster?"

Bella's eyes widened in shock, "No! I could never think that. I am sorry, Esme. I just did not want you to expose your secret when we were at the zoo."

Esme's mood lightened a bit. Bella was clearly more concerned about the Cullens exposing their secret than she was for the animals being hunted. However, it didn't stop Esme from asking a follow up question, "Does it bother you that we kill?" Esme couldn't help but press, she desperately needed to know if Bella feared her on any level.

Bella thought for a moment and then answered honestly, "No. Papa told me that you hunt animals that are," she hesitated struggling to recall the word her father used, when she failed to remember she simply said, "Animals that have too many babies. He said that nature needs balance and you help keep that balance."

Esme smiled in relief, but couldn't help herself; she had to ask one more question, "Bella, why did you ask if we would attack your puppy when we first met you in Volterra?"

Bella knitted her brow together seemingly trying to recall the event. When she remembered she spoke, "Mama and Papa told me that vampires do not like dogs. Mama says they smell bad. When Aunt Dora bought me Pocio she too warned me that vampires did not like dogs. But then she also said he would be safe because no vampire would ever hunt a dog. But Uncle Cauis said that she could not actually say that because some vampires actually drink from animals. Then he told me vampires who drink from animals have yellow eyes and I should watch out."

Esme felt the relief flowing out of her in waves. This entire time she had been terrified that Bella would think of her as a monster, and it was all some prank idea planted in her head from her uncle.

Bella looked up at Esme and her eyes were drawn in a very serious expression, "I think that he was messing with me."

Esme couldn't help it, she laughed. She laughed partly from relief and partly from the adorable expression on Bella's face as she realized that she had indeed been messed with. Esme picked her up and hugged her tightly, "Oh my dear girl, I love you." Bella looked up at her in confusion but accepted the cuddle and responded in kind.

The next few days were spent at the zoo and Esme was happy to notice that Bella didn't seem concerned about them attacking animals during the entire time they were there. It seemed as though she trusted them implicitly and if they said they had no desire to hunt at the zoo, than she didn't give it another thought.

After their last day at the zoo they headed to the boardwalk to enjoy some of the games. Esme was concerned considering last time they attended a carnival it did not end well. Alice assured her, however, that everything would be okay. Nonetheless, Esme made sure that she had her eyes on Bella the entire time, and when Bella was not playing a game, she made sure that she was the one holding her hand. Esme also made sure to steer clear of any clowns. It wouldn't do to remind Bella of her fear just as her dreams were becoming free of them.

The last day of vacation they spent at the beach. Although it was overcast, it was still warm enough to enjoy being outside. The family decided to play a game of beach volleyball together with Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle on one team and Emmett, Rose, Edward and Bella on the other. Emmett took to placing Bella on his shoulders to play, which basically left Rose and Edward to cover the entire field by themselves. It was the first time that Esme had ever seen Rose and Edward work together and actually enjoy themselves. She sighed as she thought of this vacation ending so soon. She wished they had more time. Then she realized that it wasn't just more time on vacation that she was hoping for. She knew from talking to Suplicia that the war was coming to an end soon.

Esme looked up at the child laughing on Emmett's shoulders and sighed and said so no one could hear, "We are going to miss you little one."

a/n: fair warning, the next chapter may be a bit sad. I'm going to try to end it on a happy note, however.


	12. Chapter 12: Baseball Surprises

A/N: Well it's that time my friends. We have reached the penultimate chapter of this tale. I hesitated to write this part, but alas.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 12: Baseball Surprises

After the last night of the vacation the Cullens sadly made their way back to the airport. They all seemed to drag as though no wanting to physically part with their vacation and be forced to return to reality. For they all knew that the reality was that their time with Bella was running out. Regardless of the acknowledgement that their time was running out, each Cullen refused to sit and sulk. Instead it was if each had a renewed vigor to make each moment count. Bella, therefore, found herself passed from seat to seat on the plane; each vampire eagerly awaiting his or her allotted turn to spend time with the girl.

When Bella was plopped down between Rosalie and Emmett, she was beginning to tire. Rose immediately noticed that the child's eyes were beginning to droop and quickly pulled the armrest up from between her and Bella and let the girl curl up in her lap. She gently stroked her hair and soothed her to sleep. The only time she looked away from the child in her lap was to quickly ask the flight attendant for a blanket. The attendant seemed momentarily dazed, but quickly complied to the request. Once Rose was assured that Bella was completely cocooned in the blanket she resumed her gentle strokes.

Emmett leaned over the gently spoke to her, "What are you thinking about, Rose?"

"What everyone is thinking about." Rose responded without looking up.

"Did you have a good vacation?" He asks softly, trying to pull her away from her sad thoughts.

"It was wonderful. It was nice to be in a place that didn't rain all the time, or wasn't covered in snow." She chuckled briefly.

"That was nice. Do you ever wish we could be in a place that was sunny?"

Rose took a moment to look up to him. She smiled and responded, "I know it seems foolish but I do wish for that sometimes. I know that we don't actually feel the difference in temperature, but for some reason it does feel different." She returned her gaze to Bella once she finished.

Emmett shook his head in agreement, "Bella told me that her mother makes her wear sunscreen when she goes outside at her home there." He laughed lightly, "She also said that we should be happy we don't have to wear it. Apparently, 'it is sticky and smells funny.'" He finished by trying to mimic the little girl's voice and accent.

Rose laughed, "I don't actually remember sunscreen. Isn't that strange?"

Emmett puffed out his chest, "I never had to wear any. I guess my skin was always tough." His wiggled his eyebrows at Rose and she shoved him playfully.

They continued to talk and banter back and forth before the captain announced that they would be beginning their descent into Seattle soon. The attendant came by shortly thereafter and requested that they return their seats to their upright positions. Rose bit back a growl. She didn't want to have to wake the peaceful girl but sighed when she realized that she would need to be awake or the attendant would just come and badger them again.

Rose gently cooed in Bella's ear, "Come on sweetie, it is time to wake up. We are about to land."

Bella rose slowly and began rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked up to Rose and smiled, "Are we almost home?"

Rose smiled back down at her before answering, "Almost. We will still need to drive back from Seattle once we get off the plane."

"Okay." Bella said glumly.

Rose smirked before nudging her gently, "Or we could always run, if you would prefer." Rose and the rest of the family had learned that Bella loved to run, or rather be carried while they ran. Every time she would run with one of the family, she would giggle and squeal in delight. She seemed to crave the speed and the freedom that running provided. The family understood her desires, as they too loved the freedom of running, so they frequently found themselves running with the small child, basking in her delight as well as their own.

Bella's eyes lit up, "Really, oh please Rose, please!"

Rose smiled down at her, "You should probably also ask mom and dad." Rosalie grinned when she saw both Esme and Carlisle cock their heads slightly. She knew they had been listening in on the conversation and would not mind if Bella ran with her, but she wanted to have Bella defer to them, mostly because it seemed to make them happy when she did.

"Mommy, daddy," Bella intoned while trying to reach out to touch them through the seats ahead of her. Unfortunately, the seatbelt prevented her from making the contact that she wanted. She struggled for a bit before realizing that Carlisle and Esme had already turned around and were grinning at her. She jumped in surprise and took a moment before she was able to start again, "May I ride back home with Rose?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Esme responded with a smile. Then she turned back around with Carlisle and the whole family waited for the plane to land. Once the plane landed and the Cullens collected their luggage from the bagging area, Rose and Bella left to run home and the rest of the Cullens picked up their cars from long-term parking. On the walk to the car Alice spoke excitedly, "There is going to be a storm tomorrow night."

The rest of the Cullens grinned back at her. It looked as though a game of baseball was in their future.

When they returned home, they heard the sound of water splashing and Bella and Rose laughing. Esme smiled to herself and made her way up to the bathroom. When she got inside she saw Bella siting in a tub filled to the brim with bubbles, but more surprisingly, she saw that Rose was sitting next to the tub, her hair and clothes practically drenched in water with a few bubbles that had managed not to pop.

"And what, pray tell, is going on here?" Esme asked with sternness while placing her hand on her hip.

Bella gulped and looked at Esme sheepishly.

Rose didn't seem affected by Esme at all and simply stated, "She started it," while lazily pointing at Bella.

Bella's eyes widened and she spluttered before responding, "I did not."

"You did so." Rose responded and splashed Bella.

Bella splashed right back and they started all over again.

Esme laughed under her breath before she cleared her throat loudly. "Excuse me young lady," She looked toward Bella, "Are you supposed to be splashing and getting water all over the bathroom?" She said gesturing to the sopping floor.

"No ma'am," She responded and hung her head.

Esme turned toward Rose, "And you, you are almost a century old. You are setting a bad example."

Rose wasn't remotely affected and she simply said, "Oh, really?" before she turned toward Bella and gave her a mischievous grin. Before Esme could process what the grin meant Rose sent a wave of water toward Esme and effectively drenched her as well.

Bella looked shocked. She first looked at Esme and then when she saw the smug look on Rose's face she let out a tiny giggle. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth and looked sheepishly back at Esme. Esme couldn't help it, she laughed. She knew that she was reinforcing a bad habit, but she couldn't help it. She loved seeing the playful side in Rose even if she ended up being dragging into her antics. The three of them continued to laugh and play throughout the rest of Bella's bath.

When Rose and Esme finally got Bella out of the tub and dry, Rose helped Bella finish getting ready for bed while Esme went to change out of her wet clothes. Rose helped Bella curl up in bed before kissing her forehead and saying goodnight.

"Goodnight Rose," Bella said, "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie." Rose said grinning ear to ear.

Esme then sat down next to Bella. "So, should we continue where we left off," She said while indicating the book in her lap. Bella nodded and curled into Esme's side while Esme read to her until she fell asleep. Esme stayed with her the entire night. She just could not seem to bring herself to leave her side.

The next morning, consistent with the developed routine, Alice flitted into Bella's room to wake her up. She looked to Esme first and suggested that she hunt. Esme responded that she didn't feel she needed to hunt just yet.

"Esme, just trust me on this. You will thank me later."

Esme nodded, she hesitated though as she didn't want to leave Bella. When she heard Alice's annoyed sigh, she kissed the little girl's forehead and said, "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, mommy," Bella murmured sleepily. She then woke slightly more and gave Esme a brief hug. Alice interrupted and then shooed Esme away while taking Bella's hand and pulling her from the bed.

Esme returned later that afternoon to find all of her children huddled in the media room playing a racing game together. She smiled and watched them for a while. Carlisle came up behind her a few moments later and spoke quietly in her ear, "How was your hunt, love?"

"It was good. How was your day back at work?"

"Uneventful. I just arrived home a few minutes ago. So did Alice tell you when the storm is going to start?"

"She said we should be good to go around five." She then turned to look at the clock on the wall. "I guess we should interrupt them and have them go get ready." She looked up to Carlisle with a grin.

Alice looked up at that moment and said, "No need to interrupt. That was our last race." She then turned to Bella, "Come on princess, we need to get you changed."

After everyone was outfitted up to Alice's standards, the Cullens made their way to a clearing that would be free of rain. Emmett looked excitedly toward Bella, "Now you are going to see us play vampire baseball!"

Bella looked up at him just as excited. "Here Bella," Esme said while reaching her hand toward Bella, "Come over here with me. You can help me referee." Bella took her hand and followed her to stand behind home plate. Esme continued, "We have to keep these kids honest." Esme looked toward Rose at her last statement. Rose simply smirked and headed to pick up the bat.

Alice pitched the ball and Rosalie hit it far and away. Bella's eyes widened and she uttered, "Wow." Rosalie sprinted around the bases and Edward threw the ball to Esme. Esme barely missed tagging Rose out, and she Rose sauntered off victoriously. The game continued for another half hour with Bella completely absorbed in watching all that was happening. As they were changing up sides again the Cullens turned when they heard a soft voice coming from the forest edge behind where Bella was standing, "Do you mind if I join?" The voice questioned.

Before the Cullens could see who the voice belonged to, Bella took off toward the trees shouting, "Jane!"

The Cullens watched in shock as Bella threw herself into the arms of the blonde vampire. Esme's heart clenched. So the time had come to say goodbye. She wasn't sure if she could handle the loss. She told herself over and over again that they would be fine when Bella left, but now, being faced with the reality of Bella's old life, she wasn't so sure.

Esme watched as Jane carried her child back to where they were all standing. When Jane arrived a small smile graced her face. "I am sorry for interrupting your game. I see you are surprised by my arrival. Did Alice not tell you of when I would be coming?"

At this all eyes were on Alice. Avoiding the glares directed her way; Alice waved her hands flippantly answered the question, "Must have slipped my mind. Now come Jane we have uneven teams. You can be with Esme, Emmett and I."

Jane nodded silently and then turned to Bella. She squeezed her tightly and whispered, "I have missed you munchkin."

"I have missed you too Jane, so much." Bella squeezed Jane again and then untangled herself from her so Jane could join the team on the field. Jane proved to be a talented player, and the vampires continued the play their game. The Cullens, however, played half-heartedly. Esme was torn between wanting the game to be over so she could spend time with her little girl and wanting to stretch out the game so the inevitable goodbyes that would follow the game would be postponed.

When the game did draw to a close, Bella rushed back over to Jane and threw herself back into her arms. Jane hoisted her up and looked into her eyes that were alight with curiosity. She spoke knowing that the rest of the Cullens would benefit from what she had to say to the princess, "I know you have a host of questions for me, little one, and I will answer all of them. Let us first go back to the Cullen's home so we can talk in a place that affords you more comfort." She smiled down at the girl who pouted slightly but nodded in agreement.

Esme made her way over to Jane and spoke politely, "You can follow us back."

Bella reached out to touch Esme's arm and waited for her to turn back to them. When she turned back and inclined her head to the girl Bella asked, "Can I ride back with you?"

Esme looked briefly at Jane who appeared completely unaffected by the request. Jane on noticing Esme's reticence lifted her arms to as to pass Bella to her. Esme relished the contact and smiled at Jane mouthing, 'thank you' which was met with a gracious nod. Esme cradled the girl and carried her back. Much before she would have liked, she arrived in the living room. She set Bella down and the child made her way to sandwich herself between Jane and Rose.

Jane began once Bella was situated. "To answer the most obvious question I am sure you have, yes, the war is over with little loss on our side." Bella's eyes misted briefly when Jane mentioned loss and Jane quickly wrapped her arm around the girl and whispered, "Please do not fear, Isabella. All of our family is safe."

"But some of the guard," Bella trailed off.

"It was a most unfortunate cost. We lost two of the outer guard."

Bella nodded and when Jane was sure that Bella was going to be okay she continued. "The king and queen sent me once the war was finished to accompany Isabella back to Volterra."

The entire Cullen family sunk in their seats as the heartbreak began to surround them. "However," Jane continued, "The castle is currently undergoing some minor repairs that will not be complete for another few days. It would be unwise to have Isabella return to an unsound structure, so if it would be alright with you," she said looking toward Carlisle, "Perhaps Isabella and I may stay with you until the end of the week."

"We would be more than happy to have you Jane." Carlisle replied politely.

Jane nodded her appreciation and thanks and then said, "Now that the formalities have been addressed I have a feeling that someone in the room," she made a show of looking around before zeroing her eyes in on Bella, "has some questions for me?"

Bella giggled at Jane and launched into a series of questions. She was mostly concerned about how everyone was doing. Jane patiently answered all of her questions and provided detailed updates on every member of the family. Esme sat and listened to the two as they interacted. She still could not believe that in front of her was the most feared vampire in the history of vampires. Jane was sweet, kind, considerate and above all radiated love for Bella. Perhaps the Volturi needed Bella more than her family did. Perhaps that was why fate only allowed them a brief glimpse of her life while the Italian royals got to keep her.

Carlisle wrapped his arm around her and watched the pair as well. "I will need to talk to Jane about her hunting habits while she is here and I do not wish to do so in front of Bella. Would you be able to take her up for bed after Bella and Jane finish?" Esme nodded and turned back to Bella and Jane.

When Bella seemed to have exhausted her list of questions, Esme interrupted their silence. "Bella, sweetheart, come let's get you ready for bed." Bella pulled Jane into a tight hug before whispering goodnight. Jane kissed her cheek and responded in kind, "I will see you in the morning munchkin. Sleep well."

Upstairs Esme took her time to help get Bella ready for bed. When they excited the bathroom, she saw Rose on Bella's bed with a book in hand. Esme pulled her up and embraced her closely. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you so much."

"Goodnight, mommy. I love you too." Bella whispered back kissing Esme's cheek. Esme squeezed her again and then gently place her in the bed next to Rose. She placed a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

The next few days went by far faster than Esme could bear. She spent Bella's every waking moment with her and was by her side during most of her sleeping as well. She internally thanked Alice for having her hunt right before Jane arrived. She did not want to miss any of her baby's last moments with her and her family. She was also grateful that she had a few extra days with Bella. She was surprisingly also happy to spend more time with Jane. The vampire was delightful company and Rose and Jane developed a friendship quite similar to Esme and Suplicia's. Esme still could not believe that this vampire's gift was to cause pain.

The rest of the family treasured the last few days as well. Carlisle took off work and the family found themselves doing almost everything together. But despite their wishes for the moment to never arrive, the day that Bella was to leave did arrive. They only had one more morning left.

Alice woke Bella on that morning as she did every morning, seemingly unaffected by the somber mood that affected the rest of the household. When she brought her down stairs everyone received their customary 'good morning' hug and they all held on a little longer and a little tighter. When Bella got to Esme she held on for much longer than anyone else. When they finally pulled away, Esme asked Bella, "I was thinking pancakes for breakfast."

Bella smiled brightly at her and nodded. While she was helping Esme Jane entered the kitchen. Bella turned to her and started a brief conversation.

"Did you ever have pancakes, Jane?"

"No, munchkin. Unfortunately they didn't have pancakes when I was still a human."

"That is awful, Jane. They are most delicious."

"Well we will have to see if Esme can send the recipe along to chef Paolo."

Bella looked thoughtful for a moment and then spoke dejectedly, "It will not be the same. No one can cook as well as mommy does." A single tear fell down her cheek and Esme looked stricken. She didn't know how to comfort the little girl. What could she say? So she picked her up and hugged her tightly.

Bella's tears started to fall more freely now and she whispered, "I will miss you so much. Can I come and visit you?"

"Of course, baby." Esme said stroking her cheek. "You can visit any time you want. You are always welcome. You are family."

Bella buried her head and continued to cry while Esme tried to sooth her. Esme felt just as heartbroken and before she knew it a drop of venom was flowing down her cheek. It left a burning trail of pain down her face, but it didn't even begin to challenge the ache she was feeling in her heart. She didn't know how she was ever going to let go much less survive if she did.

The morning passed and the Cullens plus Bella and Jane found themselves back on the jetway in front of the Volturi jet. Jane made her way on to the plane after saying goodbye to each of the Cullens. She also expressed her extreme gratitude to each member of the family for watching over and protecting Isabella. Before she entered the plane Emmett ran up, "Wait, I almost forgot to give you this." He said while holding out a box. At her upturned eyebrow he continued, "It's a hard drive. It is full of pictures and videos of Bella's time here with us." Then Jane smiled gently and replied, "Thank you very much, Emmett. I am very grateful to have this and I am sure that the king and queen share my gratitude." Emmett nodded and descended back to the jet way. Jane then turned to Esme, "I will give you a few moments to say goodbye. Take as long as you need."

Bella was passed around to each Cullen until she had said goodbyes to all but two. Rose swooped in and picked her up and held her tightly for a few moments.

"I will miss you, Rose."

"I will miss you too, sweetie. More than you could possibly know."

"And you will say goodbye to Jacob for me?"

Rose didn't even flinch, "Of course, I'll make sure to get him your number so you can chat as well."

They cuddled for a few more minutes and Rose spoke softly again, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Bella squeezed back the tears in her eyes flowing freely.

When Bella pulled away a bit later, Rose transferred Bella to Esme's arms. Esme had hoped that this moment would never arrive and yet it was here and it was breaking her heart. Bella clung to Esme for quite some time but then they both knew that goodbye had to come. "I love you mommy. I will miss you."

"I love you too baby. Not a minute will go by that I won't think about you."

Then Esme went to carry Bella to the plane. Alice strode up and placed her hand gently on Bella's back. "Just remember Bella that it isn't really goodbye. We will see you soon, okay." Bella nodded sadly, clearly unconvinced by Alice's attempts to cheer her.

Esme carried her to the plane and gently placed her in the seat next to Jane. "Please take care of her," Esme pleaded.

"With my life," was Jane's simple response.

Esme kissed Bella on the forehead and then departed the plane. When her foot hit the ground of the jetway and the door of the plane was closed she broke into sobs. Carlisle quickly wrapped his arms around his wife and shared her grief. They had just lost their daughter. The whole family watched as the plane took off. They stood on the jetway for some time after the plane was out of sight, yet they lingered watching their happiness disappear slowly into the clouds.

A few weeks passed and the Cullens made due with short phone calls from Bella that never seemed to be enough. Esme took to just sitting and staring at the framed photograph that Emmett had given her. She was reverently stroking the frame when the family gathered to joining her sitting in silence. Edward chose to break the silence. "If you would have told me a year ago that a five year old girl would be responsible for so much change, I would not have believed it. To think, even the Volturi stopped hunting humans."

As he said the last sentence all eyes narrowed on him. "What do you mean, Edward?" Carlisle said as he was the first to recover.

"Carlisle," Edward sputtered, "Do you _not _remember your conversation with Jane?"

"Of course I do. I reminded her that we keep a permanent residence here and as such it would be best if she hunted elsewhere. She responded that she had no need for hunting."

"Carlisle, she meant that she didn't hunt. None of the Volturi do. Not anymore."

"What?"

"They drink from blood bags provided by donations." Alice supplied a more concrete answer. After she finished the statement her eyes glazed briefly and she looked at Esme in shock.

"That was what was stopping you?" Alice asked directing her question toward Esme. When Esme looked at her in confusion she continued. "Our futures have been up in the air for months. It has been going back and forth between two options. One of the options just disappeared." Alice grinned brightly, "Now tell us, why this information has affected you so much."

Esme still looked confused but continued, "I don't know how my thoughts on the Volturi could possible affect the future so much. But if you must know, it has always bothered me that they were raising a human daughter while killing humans."

"And…" Alice prompted.

"And, what, Alice? I don't know what you are getting at."

Alice huffed at Esme, "In one future, we were heartbroken as we are now. But every summer, Bella would come and visit us. We cherished the time, but it still killed us every time she left. We got to watch her grow up; she even had a summer romance while she was here," She smirked at Rose before saying, "With that mutt. But that future just disappeared."

Esme looked down in realization and felt her heart sink, "I guess I always thought that she would have us as a family to help counter her other one. I thought that we could give her hope that not all vampires kill humans. I thought that knowledge would protect her. I guess I was wrong." She hung her head. She had always thought that she would be able to offer something to Bella that her other family couldn't. That would explain why the vision had Bella visiting often. But now she felt she had nothing to offer; now she didn't even deserve visits.

Edward chose to interrupt Esme's dark thoughts, "Esme, do you think that Alice's vision that disappeared was the preferred choice?"

"I'm sorry everyone, I had no idea of what my thought would lead to."

"Are you kidding me, Esme!?" Alice exclaimed, "I have been waiting for that awful future to disappear for months! I just didn't know what was keeping it around. If I would have known it was about the Volturi's feeding habits I would have told you ages ago."

Rose interrupted with barely concealed hope, "What is your vision now, Alice."

"Well isn't it obvious?" Alice said exasperated flailing her hands in the air. When she was met with silence she sighed dramatically. She then turned to Carlisle, "I believe it is time to hand in your resignation. We have been here for eight years and people are starting to suspect that we don't age." She looked up to the ceiling as though she was deep in thought before she continued, "I'm thinking we should head somewhere a bit more," she paused and her face spread to accommodate her cheshire grin, "I don't know. Perhaps a place that is a bit more…sunny."

a/n: Well we just have the epilogue left to go. I hope you have enjoyed.


	13. Chapter 13: Epilogue

A/N: So here is the final installment of Motherly Instincts. Thank you again for everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and provided advice! You guys definitely made my first experience in the fanfic realm an amazing one!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.

Chapter 13: Epilogue

"Mama?" Bella looked up at her mother from her place in bed, "I am much too excited to sleep. Can I stay up with you?"

Suplicia chuckled at her daughter's antics; she had become a bit bolder and playful after her time with the Cullens. She responded with a light smile, "I am afraid not little one. You need your sleep. Come, I will read to you until you tire."

Bella sighed but snuggled into her mother's side. Suplicia wrapped her arms around her child and read to her until her breathing evened and she fell asleep. She watched her sleeping child for a while before she forced herself to get up and begin preparations for the following day. Suplicia had spent every night with her daughter since she returned from her stay with the Cullens two months ago. She just couldn't seem to bear the thought of being apart from her. And while she knew that Isabella was overjoyed to be back home with her and the rest of her family, Suplicia knew that a part of her heart was hurting.

Suplicia smiled at the thought of what was to come the following morning. With that thought in mind she hurried to the family room and began preparing for Christmas. The Volturi had not celebrated Christmas in centuries, but with the presence of the human princess, every year the celebration was bigger and grander. As she entered the room she saw her husband ushering around the various guards making sure that everything would be perfect for their daughter.

Suplicia made her way over to Didyme and Athenodora. Dora was the first to speak, "Were you able to get her to fall asleep?"

"Not without difficulty."

Didyme and Athenodora chuckled before Dora spoke again, "She's always like this before Christmas. Remember last year when she snuck out of her room and tried to open her presents early?"

The three queens laughed at the memory. Didyme continued the story, "The poor thing felt so guilty she almost made us take the presents back."

Suplicia responded, "I hope she doesn't try to do that this year. I know for a fact that her 'presents' will not be able to be returned."

They were interrupted from their conversation by the sounds of small paws pattering toward them. When Suplicia looked up she sighed in annoyance. "Do you not keep that thing on a leash, Dora?"

"I do not care what you say, Cia. Pocio is family and will be a part of this day whether you like it or not." She bent down and picked up the dog. It was solid white, with long hair pointy ears and a curled tail. It looked more like a large fox than a dog. "How can you say no to such a face?" Dora playfully used the dog's paw to bat at Suplicia's arm.

Suplicia rolled her eyes in annoyance and before she could respond Didyme interrupted, "So, when will the other guests be arriving?"

Suplicia, grateful for the intervention, responded quickly, "Mid-morning."

"How will we keep her distracted?"

At that moment Jane walked over to the three queens. She began to feel nervous as the three of them gave her very mischievous looks at the same time. She voiced her concern, "Why do I feel as though you are setting me up for something?"

Didyme responded first, "Oh we were just discussing who would keep little Isabella distracted tomorrow morning." She lifted an eyebrow toward Jane as she finished.

Jane didn't bat an eyelash, "I am assuming that I will be watching her. If that is the case I will excuse myself to go make a few preparations."

Dora pouted after Jane's retreating form, "Nothing fazes that woman. I do wish we could see her uncomfortable at least once in our existence."

Suplicia and Didyme nodded their agreement and then separated to help the kings and the rest of the guard with decorating.

The next morning, as anticipated, Isabella woke up bright and early. Suplicia was waiting by her bed and smiled when Bella opened her eyes, "Buon Natale, my darling."

Bella smiled, "Buon Natale, Mama! What are we doing first this morning?" She said while barely maintaining her excitement.

"You are going to be spending the morning with Jane," Bella's eyes brightened at the mention of Jane, "And then you will both join us in the family room. We have a big surprise for you."

Bella leapt into her mother's arms and gave her a large hug. She pulled away and then proceeded to help her get ready for the day. As they were finishing, Jane entered her room. Bella's eyes danced and she exclaimed, "Buon Natale, Jane!" She leapt into her arms for a hug.

"And a Happy Christmas to you as well, munchkin." She placed the child down and took her hand in her own, "I have a very exciting morning planned for us. Are you ready to go?"

At Bella's nod, they departed and Suplicia quickly made her way back to the family room. When she arrived she saw all of the kings the other two queens and the elite guard, sans Jane, waiting. Aro quickly approached, "Will our little one be sufficiently distracted while we wait?"

She patted Aro slightly on the shoulder, "You know how she is with Jane, dear. She has probably already forgotten that today is Christmas."

Aro chuckled and nodded his ascent.

A few hours later Jane and Bella made their way into the family room. Bella immediately made her rounds wishing everyone a merry Christmas. Everyone took time to return the well wishes and then they began to open gifts. After Bella had opened her last gifts from her parents, her mother spoke gently in her ear, "We have one more surprise for you, my darling."

Bella looked up from her position in Suplicia's lap to make eye contact with her mother, "What's that?"

At that moment Carlisle Cullen entered the family room with a large smile on his face. Bella's eyes widened and she leapt up from her mother's lap and ran toward him. When she got close enough she flung herself into his arms, too speechless to even offer a word of greeting.

The rest of the vampires watched the short reunion between the two. Marcus smiled and mused out loud, "Ah, I see that I have some competition for the position of Isabella's favorite uncle." Caius harrumphed and Carlisle's face split into a large grin. Aro looked thoughtfully and said with the briefest of smiles, "Dear brother, I think you are losing your touch, for the competition is clearly mine."

Aro then looked toward Carlisle with a warm smile, "It is good to have you back with us, Carlisle."

Bella looked up at Carlisle with almost pleading eyes. He knew instantly what she was asking and inclined his head toward the door. There at the entrance stood the rest of her family. Carlisle, seeing what she wanted, placed her down. Bella took off once more and finally found her voice, "Mommy!" She exclaimed before being met with Esme's embrace.

"How long are you going to be visiting?"

Rose walked over and Bella climbed into her arms, "For a very long time, sweetheart, for a very long time."

FIN

a/n: Thank you all again for reading!


End file.
